Rise Of a Master
by The Black Blademaster
Summary: Follow Ash Ketchum, aspiring Pokemon Master, Veteran Trainer and Trainee Aura Guardian through his journey in the Sinnoh Region. New questions will be raised, Friends made, Rivals met and Criminal Organizations encountered. Smart/Powerful! Ash. Ash with Legendary Pokemon. Ash/Harem. Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note :- Hi. This is my first Pokémon fanfic. The Prologue will cover Ash's journey through the Kanto, Jhoto and Hoenn Region. This story is mainly about Ash's journey through the Sinnoh Region. Ash in my fic, can be considered as an OC if you'd prefer that. I make no claims that the character that I have portrayed is similar to Ash of the anime. Enjoy!**

**A/N- I don't own Pokémon.**

**Prologue**

Ash Ketchum was a very simple boy. Not much fazed him, and his mother could recall only a few things that made him angry. But there was one thing that separated him from many others his age. His love of Pokémon and his passion for battling. He got along well with his peers, but oddly, preferred the company of Pokémon rather than fellow humans. Thus, it came as no surprise to his mother when at the tender age of 7 he declared that he was going to be a Pokémon Trainer, boasting that he was going to become the best. She had told him that he would have to wait and start attending the Pokémon Trainers School when he turned 10, but Ash was adamant and she had bought him the necessary books. What followed was a hectic juggling of schoolwork and preparing to take the exam granting the License necessary for anyone to possess a Pokémon. But, Ash wasn't deterred. He was determined to fulfil his dream, his childhood dream to become a Pokémon Master. Delia had humoured him, but on seeing him that he would sit all day with the books if he was allowed to, she decided to help him and began by explaining the extremely difficult words (for a 7 year old) to Ash.

It was only a scant six months later that he had discovered another passion. Histories and Legends had always interested and fascinated him. Not surprising, since they often had tales of armies of Pokémon battling and many of the stories had Legendary Pokémon as a theme. Ash had quickly grown bored of the storybooks and sought after real information. He had begged Professor Oak to tell him stories about his encounters with Legendary Pokémon on many occasions. The aged Professor had mentioned that there were many experts that spent their lives searching for any information that had been recorded via ancient scriptures and runes. On seeing Ash's excitement, he had told him that he would teach him to read such scriptures if he applied himself a bit more in his studies. Ash had quickly agreed.

Looking back, it was the simple offer made by a kind hearted old Professor that had moulded the boy into the teenager he was today. He had absolutely aced the Pokémon Trainer acceptance exams and had also secured himself a License as an Archaeologist. The second License would grant him access to many well-established digs spread throughout the World and give him the opportunity to study the various scrolls that have been found and was displayed in Museums.

Walking towards his home after another hard day spent at Professor Oak's Lab, Ash smiled as he thought over his past. There were many people that he was thankful to, people who had helped him in coming closer to his dream. But, the one person who he was immensely thankful for was his mother. Delia Ketchum had, despite being a widow who hadn't re-married, performed an admirable job of raising her son. Despite being a single mother, she performed all her duties with a determination that was mirrored in Ash. He was determined to prove that his mother hadn't been wrong in encouraging him.

"Mom! I'm home!" announced the 13 year old boy.

"Ash! Come quick! This guy's battling with Unova Region Pokémon." the excited voice of his mother sounded from the hall of their villa. Delia Ketchum was a famous Fashion Artist, designing clothes for humans and Pokémon alike. She utilized the time that her son was at school or at Oak's Ranch to conclude her work, using the help of her sole Pokémon, Mr Mime, to travel to and fro quickly.

"Really!?" Ash exclaimed, as he hurriedly flung his travelling cloak onto a chair and ran towards the television. It was quite a rare treat to see Unova Region Pokémon battling in the Indigo League. Sadly, the Leagues of different Regions were not televised, and thus, this made seeing a Unovan Pokémon in action a rare treat. Professor Oak had also informed him that the Pokémon League Association was setting up the Unova League and had plans to move forward with them. He informed Ash that it would take a few years. This didn't stop Ash from reading all about the Unovan Pokémon though.

"Hey, hey, which Pokémon is that?" Delia asked excitedly.

Ash chuckled as he answered, "I'm pretty sure that's a Conkeldurr. A pure Fighting type."

"I'll bet you a 1000 PokéDollars on him." Delia looked at her son confidently. Ash glanced at the opponent, and smiled widely.

"Sure. I could use some extra pocket money."

(Break)

Ash woke up blearily, shifted over and tried to find a comfortable enough position to fall asleep again. Just as he was about to doze off, he snapped his eyes open. Today was the day! Professor Oak had decided that the young Pokémon under his care for the last month were now fully ready to start battling and receive training under their Trainers. He flipped off his blanked and positively dashed into the bathroom, eager to get his morning routine finished as quick as he could manage.

He bounded down the stairs, but stopped as he caught sight of his mom, sitting in the hall, looking at a photo album. Concern for his mother replaced his excitement and he called out to her softly, "Good morning, Mom."

The raven haired teen felt nervous whenever his mom got too quiet. He liked his mom best as she was, bright and happy, full of cheerfulness. He groaned inwardly. He had hoped that talking to her about him leaving today would spare them the whole situation. By the looks of it, he had failed miserably.

"Oh! Good morning dear. I was just about to start making breakfast, you'll have to wait for a little bit." She discreetly tried to wipe her eyes, but Ash had sensed her mood and it wasn't much of a leap to assume that she had been crying. Ash silently sat down beside her and waited as she regained her composure.

She smiled at him brightly and Ash was taken aback at his mom's apparent change in mood. She giggled at catching the look on Ash's face and ruffled his hair, ignoring the indignant squawking sound the teen released on being subjected to such 'childish' behaviour.

"Don't worry about me dear, I'm just being silly." She waved her hands in shooing motions, "Now, go get your Pokémon from the Professor and come back here. You can leave after lunch."

Ash looked at her for but a moment before an excited gleam made its way into his eyes, jumping up he dashed towards the door and out the house, his mother's rebuke of not running inside the house falling on deaf ears.

(Break)

"Professor Oak! I'm here to pick up my Charmander." was Ash's greeting as he positively flew into the aged Professor's lab.

"Why hello Ash, how can I help you?" Professor Oak, the Kanto Region Residential Pokémon Expert, world renowned for his research on Pokémon and their relationship with humans, was quite an odd character. But, Ash had long ago got used to his eccentricities and promptly explained that today was the day that he was to hand out the standard Kanto starters to new Trainers, and he, one such Trainer had chosen Charmander as his starter. After Ash had finished with his explanation, he turned towards the Professor expectantly.

"About that . . . I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out a bit." Oak began, looking sheepish.

"Sure Professor! What do you need?" Ash was determined to let nothing ruin this day. A day he had been looking forward to all his life.

"I was hoping that you would start out with another Pokémon that I have." Oak spoke hurriedly, knowing that he could be subjected to a very loud chewing out. When the expected reaction wasn't making an appearance, he looked at his unofficial 'Assistant' curiously.

"Why?" was Ash's simple question.

"Well, you see I have a Pokémon with me that isn't quite suitable as a starter Pokémon for a Rookie Trainer. It's quite powerful for its species but I dare say it wouldn't be quite happy to see itself captured." The Professor rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I was hoping you would like to start with it."

Ash mused the offer. After contemplating it for a few seconds, he smirked at the Professor. "What can you do for me if I agree to this?"

"Come now Ash, isn't it enough that I have taught you practically everything that you know about taking care of Pokémon, the lessons on reading Runes and scriptures, I even allowed you to go out into the Ranch." Oak tried to reason with Ash.

"While I am immensely thankful that you have taught me so much, I feel that I paid you back by helping you sort your messes." Ash raised an eyebrow.

Oak sighed, defeated. That was true, he had counted on Ash over the years to help out around the lab. Moreover, he was now curious to find out what Ash had wanted in return for helping him. "Fine fine, now tell me, what do you want?"

Ash was quick to answer. "The upgraded Pokédex."

"You'll get the upgrade when you challenge the Indigo League. Besides, it isn't much of an upgrade. It just tells the gender and the Ability of the Pokémon on sight." Oak was firm in his answer.

Ash didn't back down. "But, Abilities can play a useful role in determining your team."

Oak looked over at Ash speculatively, "I didn't take you for a Trainer that cared about it that much. You should know that every Pokémon have its own advantages and disadvantages."

Ash waved his hands dismissively, "Oh, no no, you misunderstood. I intend to find a Pokémon, see if the Ability it has fits well with my other team members, and ask it if it would like to join my team!" Ash was exuberant as he revealed his 'strategy' to the Professor.

The Professor on the other hand, looked horrified. "My dear boy! If you place such restriction upon yourself-" he shook his head, "you'll take ages to catch a Pokémon, never mind training up a full team."

"So, about that Pokédex . . ." Ash smiled at the Professor appealingly.

(Break)

Ash held his newly acquired 'upgraded' Pokédex in his hands almost reverently. The Pokédex was a very big part of a Trainer's life. It recorded the whole journey that the Trainer had travelled, not in video or pictures, but it recorded every Pokémon that the Trainer had seen. Ash was determined that he would try his best to see every Pokémon that were present in the Kanto Region. It wasn't a feasible goal, but Ash was determined to try his best. He hoped that he, at the very least, would have the opportunity to record one Legendary. The Pokédex also served the function as an ID for the Trainer, and would be essential for registering into the Gym Matches, many of the local competitions that took place in numerous Towns and Villages, and eventually the Indigo League. Needless to say, Ash was a tad bit nervous at owning such a valuable item.

He dug into his pocket, and brought out the Pokéball that the Professor Oak had given him. It was an Ultra Ball, an expensive Ball that was necessary to capture strong Pokémon. He hurried to get home, he thought that he would include his mother into the surprise, that ought to cheer her up.

His strategy had worked, and the mother-son duo rushed through lunch, eager to find out the mystery Pokémon. Moving to the backyard, Ash clicked the Ball to expand it to it's full size and tossed it in front of him. There was a shining light and eventually the Pokémon released came into proper view. Ash released a sigh of relief. It wasn't an exceptionally strong species that he might have had trouble controlling. But still, it was incredibly uncommon Pokémon in the Kanto region. A Pikachu, that had alternate colouring, or as was crudely called, a Shiny.

The Pokémon appeared to be confused at his surroundings but on discovering Ash and his mother standing in front of him, it got on all fours and sparked his cheeks threatingly. Ash backed up a bit on catching the look.

"It's so cute! But looks like it's not too happy with you Ash." Delia commented.

"Yeah! I wonder why it's so angry with me, it's the first time I've met him." Ash said in a confused tone. Perhaps this was why the Professor had requested him to take him. Ash mentally ranted at the Professor for pushing his troubles on a Rookie Trainer. But, he approached the angry Pikachu with confidence, following through on the advice that the Professor's grand-daughter, Daisy Oak had given him long ago.

_"Ash the first thing you need to do when taming a new Pokémon is to first gain their respect, normally this happens when you defeat and then capture them, because in their minds if you could capture them it means you are a strong trainer and therefore worthy of their respect, from there you work on building a bond of mutual trust and eventually if you work at it you will have gained their loyalty and friendship. If however you have to gain the respect and trust of a still mostly wild Pokémon who you didn't capture yourself, or you traded it with someone, the first thing you must always remember is do not show fear! Because you see Ash, all Pokémon in their hearts are natural born warriors, they love to battle! Some may not show it as much as others but that instinct is always there. Fear Ash, to such a warrior is a sign of weakness and if a Pokémon perceives weakness, they will never respect you, and then the bond between you and the Pokémon will never be. Remember this Ash and you could tame anything!"_

As Ash came closer, the Pikachu seemed to have had enough and with a fierce cry let loose a powerful Thundershock. Ash bit back a scream, it wasn't as painful as he had envisioned, but his whole body tingled. It was a weird feeling to say the least. Undeterred, he placed his hand on the top of Pikachu's head and patted him slightly.

"You're pretty powerful aren't you? My name is Ash Ketchum, I'm a Pokémon Trainer, nice to meet you." Ash said in a clear confident voice. Pikachu seemed confused, and released another Thundershock on impulse. Ash was ready this time and jumped away from it. The electric attack hit the ground harmlessly.

"Calm down, Pikachu. You're very special Pikachu, but I promise that I'll take proper care of you. What do you say Pikachu? Do you want to become a part of my team as my first Pokémon?" Ash said as he again started moving towards the yellow mouse.

"Ash! Be careful!" Delia called out worriedly. Ash ignored her, looking at Pikachu unflinchingly.

Pikachu stood up on its hind legs, looking back at Ash. There was no mistaking the look of confusion on its face. Ash had reached him, and again patted him, ready to jump away if need be. Thankfully, Pikachu had relaxed a bit and released a pleasant 'Chaa~' as Ash scratched it behind the ear.

Ash smiled widely. Yeah, he was going to make someone great out of himself, he just knew it!

(Break)

"Trainers!" Professor Oak announced.

Out of the four that had assembled, Ash only recognized one of them, the Professor's grandson, Gary Oak. Ash and Gary weren't exactly friends, ever since they were children, they had always competed. But, when Ash had started his studies, Gary had announced that learning to read 'doodles' was a waste of his time. Ever since then, they hadn't spoken much, but Ash had a fleeting feeling that Gary was just jealous that Ash spent so much time around his famous Grandfather. He'd never asked anyone, but he had his suspicions. It would fit well with the glare he was currently on the receiving end of.

"You've all just taken the first step into the wonderful world of Pokémon. You'll have adventures, make friends, train, and many more wonderful things as you progress on your journey. But, always keep in mind that from this day on, you'll be solely responsible for another life. Do not take this responsibility lightly. Have fun, and good luck!" Oak smiled at the new Trainers as the various Lab-Aides burst into applause. The four Trainers bowed their heads respectfully.

As Ash got up from the bow and turned to leave, he was halted as Gary called out to him. "Hey, Ketchum. What say we begin our journey with a battle, that way you can claim later that you had the privilege to battle Gary Oak, the best Trainer in this region."

Ash considered the challenge, while it was true that Pikachu had stopped feeling threatened by him and seemed like the raven haired teen was growing on the little mouse, Ash wasn't sure it would be a good idea. Moreover, "I'm sorry, I left my Pokémon at my house. We can battle later, if we cross paths on our journey."

Gary clicked his teeth in annoyance, but caught sight of the Pokéball strapped onto Ash's belt. "Stop making excuses Ketchum! You've got you Pokéball right there." Gary pointed accusingly.

"My Pokémon doesn't like being inside a Pokéball." Ash shrugged his shoulders, but opened up the ball to disprove his accusation.

Gary smiled at Ash condescendingly, "You're pathetic Ketchum. I've never heard of a Pokémon not liking to stay inside a Pokéball."

"There are a lot of things that you've never heard about in this world Gary, good luck on your journey!" Ash called out as he made his way home. Ash had become quite desensitized to Gary's taunting, and it made him feel good to play the better man.

(Break)

Ash's throat hurt. He had been talking constantly to Pikachu, telling Pikachu more about himself, his dreams, what he wanted to do in life, and anything else he could think of. It wasn't pointless babbling either, before he could begin working with him, properly; he needed to know that Pikachu would follow him willingly. And by the curious but interested glances that he was receiving from the electric type, he knew that it was working. And eventually, after talking for hours, he asked Pikachu again if he would like to come with him together on his journey. Pikachu had patted himself proudly, and then nodded. After that he informed Pikachu of a few rules, such as, not attacking humans unless provoked or in imminent danger unless ordered to specifically by him, not picking fights with other team members, and above all to try his best at everything. Ash told Pikachu that as long as he did that, there would be nothing that Ash would have to complain about. Judging by the admiring look that Pikachu was giving him, Ash figured that he'd better remember his elaborate speech for his future Pokémon as well.

The sound of distant rumbling caught his ears, and judging by the black clouds gathering above, it would start raining soon. Ash picked up Pikachu and placed him on his shoulders, and in answer to Pikachu's confused look, answered, "It's going to start raining soon. If I start running now, I think I'll be able to make it to Viridian City. We'll rest up there, and begin training for the Pewter Gym tomorrow." Pikachu nodded his understanding, and Ash was off like a Ponyta.

(Break)

Unluckily for Ash, there was a warning in Viridian City about some Team Rocket Grunts that were attempting to steal Pokémon. Ash cursed his luck, Team Rocket was a criminal organization that stole rare and powerful Pokémon, and then used them for Arceus-knows-what. Grunts, were numerous and as such didn't have any valuable information about the leader of Team Rocket. Most were just in it for the fun of tormenting others. The Police didn't have enough manpower to keep them in prison for a long time. Thankfully, they weren't particularly skilled at battling, nor did they have any notable Pokémon. Ash figured that the people who failed their Trainer's Exam took this route to by-pass the League rules. Officer Jenny, the family that was utterly devoted to keeping peace and order were usually able to handle them. If not, they would sometimes request the aid of a passing Pokémon trainer, or if the matter were serious enough, the Gym Leader of that City.

Pikachu's ears twitched as it heard sounds outside his Trainer's room at the Pokémon Centre. Suddenly the lights were cut off, and Pikachu began to feel a little scared. It was the first time that he had slept inside a stone home. He quickly jumped up from his position beside Ash, and began trying to wake him. Ash slept on totally unaware of Pikachu's efforts, and eventually Pikachu growled in annoyance and sparked his cheeks on Ash's hands.

Ash woke up blearily. "What's the matter Pikachu?"

Pikachu began waving his arms, trying his best to make Ash understand what he had heard. Ash appeared to be sceptical, but when he discovered that the power had been cut off, he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Pokémon Centres could never run out of power, it would be dangerous for all the Pokémon under Nurse Joy's care. Growing concerned, he grabbed his flashlight and motioned to Pikachu to follow him. Making his way downstairs, he was treated to an uncomfortable sight. The room was dark, but it had enough streetlight coming through the front doors to light it up a little.

"Why are you doing this? There are only tired and sick Pokémon here. Please, I beg you to leave them alone." Nurse Joy was cowering behind her desk, her Chansey lying down unconscious beside her. The cause were the two Pokémon whose silhouette Ash could barely make out.

"Hahahaha! You think Team Rocket cares about that. We only want rare and strong Pokémon, there are bound to be some among the other riff-raff." The purple haired woman snapped. Ash grit his teeth as he felt his anger grow. These criminals . . .

"Pikachu," Ash whispered to the mouse, which was on his shoulders "I'm going to run towards the desk and take cover. I want you to use your Thundershock on those two Pokémon, try and get them both if you can." Pikachu nodded his head. "Ready . . . now!"

Ash sprinted towards the welcome desk, and supporting his body on his hands jumped over and behind it in one go. The dark room was immediately lit up owing to Pikachu's Thundershock. Ash caught sight of the two Pokémon that he hadn't seen clearly before. It was an Ekans, and a Koffing. Ash released a relieved sigh, at least the situation wasn't totally unsalvageable.

"W-What are you doing? You can't fight a battle inside the Centre." Nurse Joy had a shocked look on her face. Ash sympathized with her situation, but frankly, she didn't have any idea of what to do in this situation.

"Nurse Joy, your duty is to the Pokémon under your care. I'll handle these two, can you go and make sure the power is back on, and wake up other travellers if there are any. Call Officer Jenny." Ash spoke firmly. "Go! Now."

"Y-You, B-But . . ."

"Go!"

The room turned dark again as Pikachu was finished with his attack. Ash crouched down behind the desk, and was relieved to see that Nurse Joy had awakened Chansey and was making her way towards the back room.

"Hey! Come back here!" shouted the woman. Apparently she had seen Nurse Joy leave the room. Ash sucked in a deep breath, hoping this situation wouldn't take a turn for the worse.

"Pikachu! Hide in the shadows and use Thundershock when you can." Ash winced, his voice sounded unnaturally loud in the silence.

But, Pikachu came through for him and two flashes of electricity later, he peeked up to see the two Pokémon unconscious. That left the Meowth and the two Team Rocket members. Ash groaned, the odds were stacked against him. Suddenly the lights came back on, and Ash blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. "Pikachu, come near me!"

"How dare you!? Who do you think you are? Huh? Do you know who we are?" the still unnamed, woman shouted at him as she blinked the spots away from her eyes.

"I know perfectly well who you are, Team Rocket." Ash said coldly.

"So you know of our greatness. Give up." The blue haired man spoke up. Ash glared at him.

"I'm a Pokémon Trainer! I won't stand by as you steal Pokémon." Ash was counting on the appearance of Officer Jenny. He hoped she would arrive soon. Pikachu looked tired and was breathing heavily. He'd put everything he had into his earlier attacks. Ash felt a feeling of pride rushing within himself towards his Pokémon. Pikachu had given his all, just as he'd asked him to. Now it was time to perform his share of the work.

"Meowth, get the rodent out of the way first. We'll deal with this annoying brat after that." The woman shouted, her tone pissed. Ash wondered if she had anger issues, her anger was totally blown out of proportion. But first things first, "Pikachu come back to me."

"Ha! The twerp thinks dat he's being smart. Unfortunately for you brat. I've got no problems attacking stupid humans." This statement came, surprisingly enough, from the Meowth.

Ash was so surprised by this that he froze for a moment, and Pikachu paid the price. It gave a pained 'Pika!' as the Meowth used a Quick Attack on him. Fear rose up inside Ash's core. He ran towards his first Pokémon desperately. "Pikachu! Pikachu, are you alright? Answer me!"

"Mouses lose to cats twerp. That's common knowledge."

Ash glared at the Meowth with such hatred that it paused momentarily, but then smirked widely. "Give up now twerp."

"Team Rocket! You are under arrest for attempted poaching of Pokémon. Return you Pokémon and toss your Pokéballs towards me. Now!" came a loud female voice from behind Team Rocket, and directly in front of Ash. Ash couldn't see who it was, but he could make an accurate guess. He picked up Pikachu in his arms, and glared into the criminal trio's eyes.

The trio in question were no longer paying any attention to Ash as the man, desperately called out. "Koffing, use Smokescreen!"

What ensued was a hazy memory to Ash at best; after all, he had his complete attention focused onto Pikachu.

(Break)

By the time Ash had finished answering Officer Jenny's questions, it was approaching dawn. Ash was too tired to set out today, and thus decided to book his room for another day. Pikachu had recovered completely, not really surprising, Pokémon healed extremely fast and Ash had never heard of a Pokémon being crippled after a tough battle. Pokémon, regardless of their species, were extremely resilient.

"You know Pikachu, I'm really glad that you are alright. I'm sorry for putting you in danger like that yesterday, but you performed admirably. Looks like I wasn't wrong to say that you were special."

Pikachu perked up his ears as it heard Ash's voice. The yellow rodent perked up noticeably at his Trainer's words, and waited patiently for him to finish talking.

"But, in a twisted sense of logic, I'm kinda glad we ran into those criminals yesterday."

Pikachu blinked confusedly.

"It showed me that no matter what I know, no matter what I learn, nothing can replace actual Training. I promise you this Pikachu, we'll get stronger. Together. So strong that me or any of my Pokémon never have to face such a defeat again!"

Pikachu just nodded firmly and sparked his cheeks in response.

(Break)

"Wonderful battle Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as his Pokédex beeped once to signify the credits transferred. It was a system developed by the World Pokémon League (WPL) to encourage Battling among Trainers. Every 24 hours after the Pokédex is first activated, 100 credit points is assigned to that Pokédex. The number increased by 50 for every Gym Badge that you have collected. For every win you would receive a steep half of your opponent's remaining credits.

You could still battle after losing all your credits, but in that case you'd have to do the challenging yourself. Only strong Trainers received Challenges, challenged for the opponent's desire for a good battle or greedy Trainers after your accumulated credits. The credits collected could be used at PokéMarts for buying Pokéballs, Berries, Potions or other decorative items. There were also some items that could not be paid for, but only bought using Credits. TM's and Evolution stones being some of the costliest items.

It was Ash's third day since he had left Viridian City, he had found a relatively uninhabited clearing inside the Viridian Forest, closer to Pewter City than Viridian. He hadn't lost a battle yet, but acknowledged that he might have to move soon. He'd had 14 Battles today, and Pikachu and Pidgey were a bit worn out. Truthfully, Ash felt the same. But, he'd still need to catch a Grass or Water Pokémon if he was to feel confident about his chances at the Pewter City Gym. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any strong, battling types this close to the City. It made sense. Pokémon who lived in the wild didn't associate much with humans. Ash decided that he would work with what he's got.

"Your Double Team needs a little work Pikachu, you'll train with Pidgey tomorrow. But I think that your Thunderwave deserves praise. It's already better than the other Pokémon's. Pidgey, we'll need to work on your speed tomorrow." Ash said as he entered the tent to get the supplies for supper ready. Ash frowned in confusion at not hearing their replies, usually any praise or talks of improving got them very excited. As he exited the tent, he immediately knew the reason for their silence. It was a Pokémon. A Pokémon that was well documented, but never studied.

"Holy Mew! It's a Ho-oh." Ash exclaimed as he scrambled to get out his Pokédex.

And indeed it was. The majestic Rainbow Pokémon was flying at an extremely fast pace high in the skies. Too far away for his Pokédex to get a reading. Ash cursed colourfully. Ash's presence seemed to snap his Pokémon out of their silence as they began babbling excitedly. Ash couldn't blame them. It was said that Ho-oh only showed itself to those who it considered worthy, and had a pure heart. Contentment filled Ash as he gazed as the Legendary Pokémon flew out of his eyesight.

"Chaa!"

Pikachu's pained cry snapped Ash out of his reverie.

The reason for Pikachu's cry was immediately identified by Ash to be an alternate-coloured male Nidoran. It had tackled Pikachu, and was now standing opposite it growling at him. Ash jumped at the opportunity. Pikachu was indeed tired, but it had gained enough battling experience to handle this. Ash assumed command over the battle.

"Pikachu, use Thunderwave to paralyze it." Ash ordered. Pikachu charged his cheeks and just as it was about to release the attack, the Nidoran _moved._ Too fast for Pikachu to mount any defence, it slammed it's powerful looking forelimbs into Pikachu's chest, sending him reeling back. The purple wisps of poison surrounding Pikachu's body didn't bode well for Ash. Ash growled at his mistake, he'd underestimated the wild Pokémon and Pikachu had paid the price. Moreover, he couldn't identify the opening move that the Nidoran had used.

"Pikachu! Fight through the pain! Get up! I know you can do this!" Ash encouraged his Pikachu to stand up. The Nidoran charged, ash recognized the Tackle attack for what it was.

"Pikachu, use Double Team. Dodge it!"

Pikachu seemingly split up into multiple copies of itself. And the tiny Poison Pin Pokémon barrelled through one of the copies. Ash sighed in relief.

"Pikachu, hang in there. Use Thundershock, full power!"

Pikachu narrowed his eyes and sparks erupted around his body, with a yell he released the stored energy in the form of a yellow electric bolt just as the Nidoran barrelled through another one of Pikachu's copies. The Nidoran gave a cry as it's body was shocked with several thousand volts of electricity.

Ash took aim and threw the Pokéball at the Nidoran. It beeped thrice and the light settled, indicating a successful capture. Ash resisted the urge to scream jubilantly, but settled for a simple 'Good going, Pikachu.'

(Break)

High up in the skies, Ho-oh the Legendary Rainbow Pokémon smiled. 'Don't lose heart Chosen One. Your journey is only but beginning.'

(Break)

Timeskip 2 Years

Ash had come a long way since he had started his journey. He had captured lots of Pokémon and was nicknamed a 'prodigy' by many of the Pokémon fans and media. Placing in the Top 4 of the Indigo League in his first year had been an 'unprecedented and surprising event' as dubbed by the media. After that, not discouraged in the least, he'd gone on and errand for Professor Oak and visited the Orange Islands. Hearing of the 'unofficial' Orange League that took place there, he'd participated in it and won. The journey through Jhoto had been successful as well. If you were to ask his friends, Misty and Brock, about his Pokémon and his training methods, they would only be able to inform you that Ash had a special connection to his Pokémon. Even they wondered if Ash had some power that he could use. But as far as they had observed, Ash wasn't a Psychic, couldn't channel Ki, nor did he use any specialized equipment. Ash himself suspected that there was something special about him, he would sometimes feel an energy within him, usually when he was fighting against Team Rocket and had adrenaline flowing through his body. He could sometimes even 'feel' his Pokémon's health during battles. But, Ash hadn't told anyone about this. And now, the young Trainer was scheduled to battle against a seasoned trainer named John Dickson, a 23 year old Trainer from Jhoto for the Finals.

Some were sceptical about his motivations and his methods, but there would always be someone who was jealous. And Ash along with his friends and their Pokémon had performed many feats that if it were known would bring down more scrutiny on the young Trainer's life than he was comfortable with. Stopping the battle between Mew and Mewtwo, having his memories of the whole thing wiped and then having them restored when he encountered Mewtwo again, saving the cloned Legendary's life. But that wasn't the only encounter that he had with Legendary Pokémon.

He'd met all of the Three Legendary Birds of Kanto on his journey through the Orange Islands, helped calm down their rage, and saved the whole region from being wiped out. Eventually, they had managed to thwart Team Rocket's plans and had saved the region. Lugia, the Legendary Diving Pokémon, the 'Guardian of the Seas' had revealed something that had tremendously changed his life. The Prophecy written down at the Shamouti Shrine, the saviour only known as the Chosen One, was him! Ash had put that out of his mind and helped Lugia. The crisis was averted and Ash had bid goodbye to the four Legendaries.

That wasn't the last time he'd seen Lugia though. He'd met the Legendary again together with Ritchie, one of his friends/rivals. Only this time, Ash and his friends had the unique opportunity to see a baby Lugia. Team Rocket had tracked them down again, and Ash had again fended them off. Lugia had thanked him, and had asked him for a favour. Ash didn't hesitate to tell the Legendary that he'll do everything in his power to help. Lugia had smiled and asked him to raise her daughter, nicknamed 'Silver' well. Ash had been dumfounded, he'd even argued that he wasn't comfortable separating a child and her mother. It had brought back uncomfortable memories about the same happening with his young Larvitar. Silver, who wasn't yet grown up enough to utilize her immense power, had nudged her head against him, and the parent Lugia had responded that her daughter was excited to travel together with him. It was what she wished. Ash had captured Silver, and promised her mother that he'd take care of her and protect her from Team Rocket.

That was how Ash had 'captured' his first Legendary.

The next encounter was significantly more dangerous than anything he'd encountered before. Celebi was captured and her mind scrambled to follow the orders of an unknown Pokémon Hunter named 'Iron Masked Marauder'. Ash had promised himself that the next time he'd meet the criminal; he would make sure that the Hunter wouldn't escape. Suicune had showed up, and Celebi had been restored of her 'mind'.

And finally, not even a month before had been the events on the island town, Alto Mare. His heart still tightened in sadness when he thought about Latios, the Guardian of Alto Mare, who had given up his life in order to carry out his duty. He'd been another Legendary who had asked Ash for a 'favour'. Latias had been cooped up, Latios had said, and asked Ash if he would mind taking care of her in his stead. Looking at the dying Pokémon, Ash had given the Legendary Eon Dragon his promise.

That was how Latias had become a part of his 'family'. He'd stopped referring to his Pokémon as his 'team' halfway through his journey through Kanto.

But, Ash had needed help. He'd promised that he would protect them and as such he couldn't advertise the fact that he had captured Legendaries. He'd told his mother, he trusted her more than anyone else in the world, and on his recommendation, he'd revealed Lugia to Professor Oak. Needless to say, he'd been shocked. But he'd given his word. And offered his help. The aged Professor had appealed to Charles Goodshow, the man who was responsible for the world of Gym's Leagues and Competitions that were enjoyed by all, today. Mr Goodshow had told the Professor that there were many trainers that had Legendary Pokémon in their care, and the responsibility fell on the trainer's shoulders. Professor Oak had appealed that the Trainer was a teenager, and was not as experienced as the others. Mr Goodshow had relented and Ash was allowed to carry 9 Pokémon with him, despite him not being a Gym Leader, a member of the Elite Four, or the Champion. They were the only ones who had the 6 Pokéball restriction waived for them. As had thanked his mother and she had told him that she had a surprise for him when he returned home after the Silver Conference.

But everything had not gone well for him through his journeys. He was hospitalised thrice, and even lost his life and been revived once. Ash still wasn't sure as to how that had happened. His 'family' had grown, but he'd also had to say farewell to some of them. But, he cherished the time they had spent together. He could just hope that his Butterfree, Primape and Gyarados were living life as happy as they could be.

"Hey Ash!"

Ash was brought out of his thoughts as he saw his opponent today, Harrison, entering the Pokémon centre.

"Hey! That was a tough battle you gave me today." Harrison said.

"Yeah, it was amazing. You have some strong Pokémon with you." Ash complimented politely. Ash was wary, but in his defence he didn't really like sore losers. He hoped Harrison wasn't one of them. Looking at the travelling bag, Ash asked, "You're leaving already?"

"Yeah. I'm going back to visit my Grandfather for a bit and then I'll go to Kanto in time to register for the Indigo League. I just came to say goodbye." Harrison said, grinning.

"The Indigo League is a tough challenge. But, I don't think you'll have too much trouble. Just be on the lookout for Team Rocket." Ash said awkwardly. He wasn't so good with saying goodbye. Harrison grinned in response. He enquired after Charizard's health, and after Ash assured him that there were no problems, Harrison left. Ash got back to thinking over the six Pokémon that he would be using in the Finals tomorrow.

Charizard was injured against Blaziken, and Ash had immediately ruled him out. He would never send out an injured Pokémon to battle, no matter the stakes. Pikachu was in for sure, not only because the little mouse was among his most powerful battlers, but because he was Ash's first Pokémon and they had a bond that helped them through tough situations.

His shiny Nidoking would be his first battler. Nidoking was strong and experienced, and would be helpful in getting in an early win.

"Ash! Ash! Dinner's ready!" came Brock's voice from the cafeteria. At the mention of food, Ash's stomach rumbled and Ash made his way to dinner, his thoughts still occupied on tomorrow's match.

(Break)

"**Welcome everyone to the Final match of this year's Silver Conference. There have been amazing battles fought here in this stadium and we can look forward to another amazing battle today. The Silver Conference . . ."**

Ash tuned out the announcers description and history about the conference. He steeled his mind and waited for the announcer to call his name. He had his six Pokémon that he would use today strapped on his belt. He had worn his journeying clothes as they were as much a part of this as he and his Pokémon were. All that was left to do was battle.

"**On the red side we have, John Dickson from Sento Cherry Town, a 23 year old Pokémon Trainer and the runner up of last year's Silver Conference. John and his Pokémon have shown immense skills and are a favourite to win this match."**

The crowd erupted in cheers as Ash grumbled silently about the favourite part.

"**And facing him today is Ash Ketchum, a 17 year old Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town. He's set the record for the youngest Trainer to qualify for the Top 4 of the Indigo League in the Kanto region. Let's see if he can top that achievement today!"**

Ash walked out onto the field confidently, amid the cheers of the crowd. His eyes swept the stands as he searched for his friends. He spotted them clapping enthusiastically and grinned, the rush of battle was already upon him. He observed the battleground. It was a plain ground field.

"Trainers, ready!" the referee for the match called, "This will be a 6 vs 6 battle. The battle will be finished when a trainer has no useable Pokémon. There will be a 5 minute interval after a Trainer has lost 3 battles, the field will be changed at the same time."

The overhead screen flashed a green symbol and Ash cursed at his bad luck.

"Ash Ketchum, send out your first Pokémon."

"Nidoking! I choose you!"

"**And Ash Ketchum has sent out his powerful Nidoking. A truly rare member of its species as well."**

"Claydol! Bring me victory!" John threw his Pokéball. Ash gave a brief smile.

"**And John responds with his Claydol, a part Psychic Pokémon. Nidoking looks to have a type-disadvantage."**

"Begin!"

"Claydol, use Rapid Spin!" John was the first one to command his Pokémon.

As Claydol's body gained a while outline and began spinning rapidly, Nidoking waited for his trainer for orders. He had an idea where this was going. It came as Claydol came dangerously close to hammering the blue coloured Nidoking.

"Nidoking! Sucker Punch! Put everything you have in it. Send it down" Ash shouted. John had an disbelieving expression on his face, but recovered quickly. "Claydol, dodge!"

Unfortunately for him, Claydol wasn't quick enough to both stop his attack and dodge the incoming fist coated with crackling dark energy. Nidoking's fist slammed into the approaching Claydol and it crashed into the field, causing a mild tremor.

"**And Nidoking lands the first blow and what a devastating blow it was! Claydol will definitely be feeling that!"**

In the stands, Ash's friends were discussing the battle.

"I still remember when Ash first defeated me with Nidorino. It sure has grown superbly." Brock said. Brock had an interesting battle with Ash and somehow, hearing him command his Pokémon in battle, it awakened long discarded feelings within him. His father's abrupt arrival had surprised him, and Brock chose it as a sign and had asked Ash if he would like company on his journey. Despite the danger that the younger teen attracted, Brock was forever thankful that he had made the decision to join Ash on his journey. Travelling together with Ash, Brock had quickly come to the observation that, while Ash was quite polite in his mannerisms, he was not a Trainer to be trifled with. He had knowledge about Pokémon that was years beyond his appearance.

"Yeah. It's hard to believe Ash has come to the finals. He sure has grown." Misty, the Cerulean Gym Leader, who was considered to be quite a Water-Pokémon Trainer and was tomboyish in her appearance, had followed Ash after he had defeated her in a Gym Match, using a Water Pokémon! It had shown her that there was still much to be learned about training Water Pokémon and had joined Ash and Brock on Ash's journey. She, like Brock, was also quite thankful that she had made such a decision. She had briefly entertained thoughts about dating Ash, but somehow, she never could bring herself to date a younger man than her. But, Ash would always be a special friend to her, as she knew she was to him. Misty was quite sad today, she had received some unwelcome news last night and she had decided that Ash had enough on his plate already without her adding on to his problems.

"Claydol! Use Earthquake!"

"Nidoking, Protect!"

A greenish shield enveloped Nidoking, before he abruptly started running towards Claydol.

Ash shook his head in wonder. Most of his Pokémon had always been quite receptive of his thoughts. He knew that he had this match in the bag. "Nidoking! Superpower! Throw it into the air."

"Claydol! Dodge and use Slam!"

This time, Claydol swerved out of Nidoking's grasp and slammed its body into Nidoking. Nidoking cried as it was crushed beneath the black Pokémon.

"Nidoking! Use Superpower on the ground. Lift yourself up!"

Nidoking roared as it's body was enveloped in an red glow, and seemingly without any effort got up, tossing Claydol off itself.

"**That's one powerful Nidoking people. It's well trained and knows a diverse set of moves. Truly a Pokémon worthy of fighting in the finals."**

"Claydol! Balance yourself. Use Ice Beam on the field."

Ash was impressed at this strategy. A frozen field would hinder Nidoking's movement, but not affect Claydol at all. Ash smirked. "Nidoking, counter the Ice Beam with Flamethrower!"

Flames erupted from Nidoking's mouth at the same time that Claydol released a powder blue beam in front of it. The two met in the middle of the stadium, and due to the conflicting energies, as was often the case, it blew up.

John grinned, making Ash worry.

"Claydol, Rapid Spin!"

Ash grinned. That wasn't going to work. "Nidoking! Sucker Punch!"

John was confident in his belief that Nidoking wouldn't be able to dodge Claydol if it approached from between the smoke, giving Nidoking less time to aim his attack. Unfortunately for him, Nidoking's attack had a secondary feature that he didn't know about. His eyes widened when he saw Nidoking connect his punch, this time successfully sending Claydol into the air.

"Nidoking! Finish this with Hyper Beam." Ash ordered, his face split with a smile.

The powerful move connected with Claydol before he could gather his bearings. The battle was over. The referee thought so as well.

"**And Nidoking overcomes the type advantage. This was a very one sided battle, Ash Ketchum has taken down John's Claydol."**

John returned his Pokémon and focused. This was not as easy as he had anticipated. The battle was over before he could take advantage of Claydol's Psychic moves.

"That's quite a powerful Pokémon you have." John praised, "But, I doubt it can take on my next Pokémon. Go! Rhydon!"

Rhydon was quite similar to Nidoking in structure, but was bigger and taller than it. Just looking at it Ash was sure that it would be a tough opponent. Rhydon as a species were superior to Nidoking in everything except Speed, Special Attack, and Special Defence.

The referee raised his flag, indicating that Ash couldn't change his Pokémon anymore.

"Rhydon! Start things off with Earthquake!"

"Nidoking! Use Earthquake to counter!" Ash said, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind. Rhydon was better at closed ranged attacks, he would have to make up for that.

Both Pokémon gave a loud roar and slammed their legs into the ground. Shockwaves of energy travelled from both sides of the field and met up near the centre. The result was quite shocking. The battlefield was utterly decimated by the two powerhouses. Rocks and boulders were introduced to the centre of the battle field making it difficult to manoeuvre.

Ash grinned, happy that his tactic had worked. This would make it difficult for Rhydon, who was slow to approach easily.

(Break)

Delia Ketchum had not gone to see her son battle in the finals. She was busy preparing for another event that she had organized. Almost all the citizens of Pallet Town along with Professor Oak, his Granddaughter Daisy Oak, and all the lab aides and assistants had gathered together in Delia's backyard to watch the resident of Pallet Town compete.

"Ash is doing quite well." Daisy commented as she saw Ash's Nidoking take down Claydol. "It's hard to believe that's the same Ash I taught about Pokémon to. It was a good decision, becoming a Trainer. Though, Gary did quite well too. He's going to be insufferable when he gets back."

Delia wasn't quite paying attention, busy looking at the heated battle between Nidoking and Rhydon. She watched as the field was decimated, Rhydon charged with Hammerarm, Nidoking counter with a very effective Superpower, and finally as the battle heated up, both Pokémon were knocked out.

The following battles were heated as well and the crowd could feel their excitement grow. Even people who weren't into Pokémon Battles were screaming for Ash to win.

John's Rapidash took down Ash's Alakazam, and then proceeded to be defeated by Ash's Pidgeot. Pidgeot went on to defeat Victreebell but lost to Feraligatr. Feraligatr put up a tough fight against Pikachu, but lost in the end, unable to take anymore of Pikachu's un-usually powerful Electric Attacks. Pikachu fell to Gengar's Hypnosis-Dream Eater combo. Ash's Dragonair was also felled by Gengar, leaving Ash at a disadvantage.

Delia wasn't too worried, unlike the rest of her guests.

"This looks bad for Ash." Daisy said, biting her lip.

"But Ash still hasn't used his Charizard. He told me that he was one of his best battlers. I'm sure they'll be able to handle it." Delia was quick to defend.

"Ash hasn't got his Charizard. He's still recovering from yesterday's battle." Daisy informed Ash's mother. Delia looked at Daisy in horror. Her son didn't deserve this. He had worked hard, she knew. But luck wasn't favouring him today. And as Daisy had said, Ash brought out his Snorlax. Snorlax, a species of Pokémon who were asleep for most of their life was a difficult Pokémon for Ash to train. Delia had heard him complain petulantly for the first few weeks after he caught the giant heavyweight. But looking at the screen now, Delia could see that Snorlax was quite awake and even appeared to be eager for battle.

But, for all his eagerness, he couldn't take down John's last Pokémon, Aerodactyl.

Ash had lost.

Delia along with the other residents of Pallet Town grumbled and shouted at the result. But, Delia took comfort in the fact that Ash would be back home again shortly and she would be able to show him her surprise. She hoped that it would be enough to cheer him up a bit.

(Break)

Over the next two weeks that the group travelled back from the Jhoto Region to Kanto, Brock and Misty tried to find the right time to break their news to Ash. It filled them with guilt that they would be responsible for giving the younger Trainer news that would cause hurt. They had watched as he had faked smiles, brushed off compliments, and generally been expressionless the whole journey home. Brock and Misty themselves were feeling reluctant to part ways. Misty cursed her sisters for forcing her to take care of the Gym again. She knew that Ash would be angry. But as they approached the Docks, they knew that the time had come to tell him. And Ash had only started to recover.

"Ash there is something that me and Misty have to tell you." Brock started the conversation.

"What is it Brock?"

"My father called me during the Silver Conference. He needs me to take over the Gym for the next year." Brock rushed out what he had to say.

"Why? Did something happen?" Ash asked, his voice equal parts concerned and hurt. He had not anticipated this at all.

"Nothing to get suspicious over. Just a Training accident."

"Oh. I hope he recovers swiftly." Ash said, looking at Brock's guarded expression, he chuckled mirthlessly, "You don't need to be so scared. That time, when you said that you wanted to stay with Professor Ivy was different. I've grown up since then and it's not like I can't visit you right?"

"Of course. You're welcome anytime." Brock answered, there was no mistaking the relieved expression on his face. Ash turned towards Misty.

"What did you have to tell me?"

"It's the same thing with Brock. My sisters," she positively spat the term, "decided that they needed to go on a world tour. Now of all times. The gym's been closed for almost three weeks already. I cannot let my family's Gym be closed down." Misty looked at Ash with a pleading expression.

"I. . . understand. I wish the both of you good luck; don't do soft on me with only Gym Battles to train for." Ash faked a smile and Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulders to make sure that his friend was really okay.

The rest of the trip home was overshadowed by the imminent separation of the group who had travelled together for almost three years.

(Break)

"Mom! I'm home!" Ash called out excitedly. True, he was still reeling from the tearful separation with Misty and Brock, but the prospect of meeting his mom after such a long time was enough to make him forget about his recent separation.

"Ash! Welcome home honey." Delia came around, apron in place lunging to give Ash a hug. Ash gave a huff as his mother practically squeezed him till he was sure that all air had left his lungs. After some greetings were exchanged and Ash had changed out of his clothes, he enquired about the surprise that her mom had promised him. He was led out to the back of the house, Delia having wrapped her hands around his eyes.

When he opened his eyes and heard the 'Surprise!' from his mother, he couldn't believe his eyes. His backyard, his huge backyard, he corrected himself, had been made to resemble an almost scaled down version of Professor Oak's ranch. There were fields for practically every type of Pokémon that there was, along with a huge mass of water. Ash couldn't help but gape at the sight.

"Mom!? Why?" Ash could be forgiven his inarticulate questions.

"Well, I wanted to. And a rising Pokémon Master can't stay away from his Pokémon right? I even learned some tips from Daisy for the environment needed and looking after the Pokémon. This way I can take care of your Pokémon when you're away on your journey. And I soundproofed the house as well, so you don't need to worry about them disturbing my work. It's connected to Sam's Ranch so your Pokémon will still get to see their friends." Delia explained.

"Wow! Thanks mom." Ash called out all of his Pokémon that he had on him, Charizard, Pidgeot, Nidoking, Alakazam, Snorlax, Pikachu, Dragonair. He hesitated for but a moment before he retrieved two more Pokéballs and released his Lugia and Latios as well. Lugia and Dragonair immediately rushed towards the body of water and the rest of his Pokémon also made their way to places that suited them. Pikachu jumped up onto his shoulder.

"I'll just get the rest of my Pokémon from Prof. Oak's place. I'm sure that they'll love it here!" Ash shouted, already halfway out of the house.

(Break)

After Ash had retrieved all his Pokémon that he had left at the Ranch, namely, Ivysaur who had been Ash's third ever capture was a bodyguard to many Pokémon who lived in the forest. He held an intense dislike for Trainers, but after observing Ash and his friend's honest actions for saving the Pokémon from a few Team Rocket Grunts, Bulbasaur had warmed up to him and Melanie, who had taken care of Bulbasaur had suggested to the still Rookie Ash that he should take Bulbasaur with him. Ash had challenged Bulbasaur to a battle and after Bulbasaur had lost aginst Pikachu he willingly come along with Ash on his journey. Bulbasaur had evolved into an Ivysaur during an annual festival of the Bulbasaur evolutionary line. By the long time that Bulbasaur had been chatting with others of its species, Ash suspected that there was something that Bulbasaur had wanted cleared before he'd evolved.

Wartortle, he'd met as a Squirtle who had been the leader of a group of mischievous Squirtle, that Officer Jenny had informed Ash and his group, was a collection of Squirtles who had banded together when they had been abandoned by their Trainers. Ash had been quite confused about why one would release their Pokémon. After a series of misunderstandings, and oddly enough, being kidnapped by the Squirtle Squad, their group was once again attacked by the group of Grunts that Ash had encountered on the first day of his journey. Ash had saved Squirtles life and Squirtle had apparently felt that his pride wouldn't let him go on without offering compensation. Squirtle had joined Ash's team and eventually come to realize that it was the best decision that he had made. Squirtle had evolved into Wartortle during the events on New Island involving Mew and Mewtwo.

Golbat, he'd met the same time that he'd been passing through Mt. Moon. He'd caught him as a Zubat and he'd evolved while in training against Pidgeot. He was somewhat of a prankster and Ash and his friends had equally funny and grumpy days due to him.

Growlithe who was quite a recent addition to his team was given to him as a thank you for helping Officer Jenny during the whole Blackthorn City fiasco. A local gang had taken over the Pokémon centre after the Nurse Joy in charge had told one of its members that she didn't have any more room for Trainers to spend the night. The disgruntled gang member had called his friends and had taken over the Pokémon Centre demanding retribution for an imagined slight against him. Ash and his friends luckily had been inside the centre at the time and Ash had played a major role in freeing the Pokémon Centre together with a Growlithe. Officer Jenny had been impressed with his performance with the Growlithe and had given him the Pokémon.

Cloyster who ash had caught as a Shellder was Ash's immediate capture after Caterpie. He'd needed a water type Pokémon to challenge Misty and he'd reeled Shellder in using a fishing rod. Shellder had quickly thrived under the scant few days of training that Ash had given him. He'd then evolved in the battle between Shellder and Janine's Nidorina. Cloyster was a very quiet Pokémon and outside of training and meal times, spent his time closed inside his shell.

Haunter he'd caught to help him in battle aginst Sabrina after he'd lost to her the first time around. It was after his first battle aginst her that he'd decide that he would capture an Abra for himself as well.

Rhydon, Scyther, Tauros Ash had captured at the Safari Zone. Ash had been disappointed that he'd not managed to get himself a Dratini, but had left happy with his accomplishment none the less.

Electabuzz he'd captured when Ash and his group had visited an abandoned power factory. Electabuzz had only been an Elekid at that time and he'd been scared out of his mind. Consumed with fear Elekid had attacked the group recklessly. Having seen such outbursts by baby Pokémon at the Professor's ranch before, Ash had quickly intervened and taking a hit voluntarily had hugged the scared Pokémon to calm him down. A few moments of fighting later and Elekid had broken down, wailing loudly as he clutched Ash. After that Elekid followed everything that Ash asked him to do and as their relationship grew and Elekid started training he quickly evolved into an Electabuzz.

Magmar was a Pokémon that Ash had captured on the Orange Islands. During his training with Charizard, Magmar had appeared and challenged Charizard to a battle. Needless to say, Charizard had absolutely destroyed him. For the week that Ash had stayed on that island, Magmar would come every day to challenge Charizard. On the last day, Magmar had been disheartened when Ash had informed him that he'd be leaving the next day. Ash had seen Magmar's expression and asked him if he wanted to come with him. Magmar had quickly agreed. Even after becoming a part of Ash's team Magmar had maintained his rivalry with Charizard.

Lapras who had barely left her baby stage behind her had been rescued by Ash from a group of kids that had been harassing her. Ash had taken her to the Pokémon Centre to get treated and Ash had heard from the Nurse Joy that Lapras was probably a member of the same group of Lapras that had passed around this island a few weeks back. Lapras had nodded her head emphatically at that, and Ash had promised her that he would help her reunite with her family. After travelling the whole of Orange Islands with her and training together with her, Ash had no problems admitting that he would miss her when he'd fulfil his promise. But, Ash had kept his word and after defeating Drake for the Orange League Trophy Ash had managed to reunite Lapras with her family. But, apparently Lapras had felt the same about Ash and after spending some time together with her family she had returned with Ash.

Bayleef was once again a Pokémon who was targeted by a group of Team Rocket Grunts. Just a Chikorita at that time she had found herself quickly attached to Ash. Ash, who was not one to ignore such blatant feelings, had captured her. Chikorita was one of Ash's most affectionate Pokémon. After she had evolved into a Bayleef she still hadn't forgotten her fondness for Ash.

Quilava was captured by Ash as a Cyndaquil. It was a routine capture, but as was usual, in Ash's case everything had to be dramatic. After battling an eager Cyndaquil, Ash had thrown a Pokéball at the weakened Cyndaquil only for another Trainer to throw a ball as well. In the confusion, Ash had taken his eyes off Cyndaquil to look at the other Trainer. The trainer had introduced himself as Koji and had gone on to claim that the Cyndaquil was captured in his Pokéball and as such would be considered as his capture. Ash had grown annoyed at the trainer and had challenged him to a Battle for Cyndaquil. Ash won and was given Cyndaquil's Pokéball as agreed upon. But, Koji had been a sore loser and had somehow managed to steal Cyndaquil from Ash during the night. Ash had been immensely angry and had quickly found Koji, after defeating all of Koji's Pokémon Ash had practically spat at him to run away. Cyndaquil who had been quite frightened in a stranger's possession had been awed by Ash's determination of getting him back. He had quickly integrated into Ash 'family'. Cyndaquil evolved into a Quilava after pulling off an amazing victory over Jasmine's Steelix.

Ash had been impressed with a Treecko who was quite coolly waiting for him on the road, leaning against a tree. Treecko had called for a battle and Ash had been further impressed by him. For a wild Pokémon, this Treecko was quite smart. After a tough battle against Ash's new Seedot, Treecko had lost after it had received some huge damage caused by Seedot's Bide attack. Later when he had finished healing his Pokémon at a nearby Pokémon Centre, the Nurse Joy had informed him that Ash's new Treecko was a routine battler and challenged any Trainer that wanted to visit this Centre. Treecko had been quite adamant at keeping his training secret, but eventually with the help of his Pokémon Ash had convinced him that it would be better to train with everyone than train alone. He had evolved into a Grovyle to win a battle against a Loudred that had evolved mid-battle into an Exploud. Even after evolution, Grovyle still maintained his 'stick-in-mouth-cool' attitude.

Feraligatr, Ash had captured as a Totodile. Both Ash and Misty had wanted to capture him, and after a series of events, Both Ash and Misty decided that they would settle this with a duel. And Misty proposed that as they were battling for a water type, they should have a water battle. Ash never one to back down from a battle even with the odds stacked up against him, had accepted. Ash's Wartortle had come through for him, and Ash had gained custody of Totodile. Like most of Ash's Pokémon it had a thirst for battle and readily accepted Ash's training. He'd evolved into Croconaw during the time that Ash had taken part in the Whirl Cup together with Wartortle. He'd evolved into Feraligatr in order to save Latios from Team Rocket when Ash had visited Alto Mare.

Flaaffy was a Pokémon that Ash had caught as a Mareep. He'd joined a group of fellow minded archaeologists and had spent some time there trying to validate the rumours about Unown Pokémon found inside and near the Ruins of Alph. Mareep who Ash had encountered while digging up the ruins, had been injured after a fight and Ash had healed the Pokémon. After that Mareep had helped Ash with small tasks, bringing him water, providing light using her tail inside the dark cave, little things. She had grown quite sad when Ash had told her that he would be leaving. She had become teary eyed and Ash had been quick to reassure her that the Wool Pokémon was welcome to join him. Truthfully, Flaaffy wasn't a big fan of battling, but battled with skill whenever Ash called up on her.

Misdreavus was a part of a group of Pokémon that were causing a ruckus at the Hotel that Ash was staying at during the Silver Conference, and thus was a totally new Pokémon for Ash. He'd switched her out during the Conference and as such today would be first time that Ash would be meeting her. He wasn't too worried about her as he was sure that Ivysaur would take care of any issues should they arise. Gary had spotted the Screech Pokémon and had asked Ash if he would capture her. Ash had been quite confused at Gary's question but soon saw the problem. Misdreavus was a young Pokémon and was following the ruckus creating group of Pokémon simply because it didn't know any better. Ash had captured her after deciding that she would be better off with him than staying with the wild Pokémon. Moreover Ghost Pokémon didn't really interact well with other Pokémon other than their own type.

Pupitar had been saved by Ash when he was just an egg. Ash and his friends had heard a Trainer shouting that there was a Tyranitar that was on a rampage. And that Tyranitar had defeated three of the Trainer's Pokémon in its rage. Ash and his friends had immediately asked the Trainer for directions and on receiving them gone off at once. On reaching the place they were met by a pair of Pokémon Rangers who were trying to calm down the irate Pokémon. After some time, they had come to know that a group of poachers had entered and held her down while they looted her cave. The Tyranitar was a mother and had lost her egg. Ash had been furious and on finding the thugs, he'd had to be held off by Brock as he tried to pummel the two poachers. Tyranitar had been returned her child, but she had been looking at Ash for some time prompting him to ask what was wrong. Tyranitar had held out her child, still an egg, towards him. Ash had understood after the Rangers had explained to him that Tyranitar was trusting Ash to keep her child safe. Poachers were common around this area and Tyranitar wished Ash to raise her child. Ash had been very touched, as he usually was by such stories, and promised to keep him safe and train him to grow up strong. Larvitar had hatched and while he trusted Ash it had taken some time before he had begun trusting Brock and Misty. He was even reluctant to make friends with their Pokémon. He'd evolved into a Pupitar against Team Rocket, the same grunts from Ash's first encounter with them.

After he'd greeted his Pokémon and talked with them some, he had run into Gary. Truthfully, he'd been hoping that he could avoid Gary for the next few weeks. He'd faced off against him at the Silver Conference and Ash wasn't sure how Gary would react. While it was true that he's matured, much like Ash had, he knew that when they were around each other they fell back to childish squabbling in no time.

"Hey Ketchum. That was a good fight you put up." Gary said, his tone not derisive at all. Ash took a few moments to compose himself.

"Yeah. Just shows that I still need to train harder." Ash replied.

"You know, I'm thinking of resigning as a Trainer."

Ash was flabbergasted. "What!?"

"Calm down. This isn't about our battle at the Silver Conference." Gary was always good at reading what was going through Ash's mind. Ash stood silent, waiting for Gary to explain things. "Well, I liked battling at first, and I don't intend to stop Training Pokémon, but I have decided to follow in my Grandfather's footsteps. I'll take over the Ranch once the time is right and I have completed my research."

Ash took a moment to think about that. Out of all the Trainers he'd met, Gary didn't strike him as the type of person who would ever stay away from the mainstream Leagues.

"You've thought this through?"

"I have."

"Well, I'll be sad to see you go. You would have been a strong Trainer."

"I know." Gary smirked.

"Total ass as a person though." Ash quipped.

(Break)

**Timeskip 2 Years**

Ash had a very interesting journey in Hoenn, much more than what he had experienced before. For one thing, he had finally figured out the power that he had felt before. Aura. That was the name of his power and the persons who could use them were known as Aura Guardians. Ash was disheartened to know that there weren't any Aura users left in the world. Queen Ilene of the Camaran Palace in the Rota Kingdom had been very helpful and given him copies of various books and texts that were on display and kept secret by her family. Ash had been immensely thankful and together with Sir Aaron's Lucario he'd started training in the effective use of Aura. Though, neither the books nor Lucario had any idea why Ash's Aura was golden in colour.

Ash had struggled with it at first, but with Lucario's guidance he'd flourished. Aura according to the books that he had received was very versatile and had many usages. Ash had made significant progress in all of its fields. Aura, a force which represented life itself, enabled the user to, 1) Read the minds and actions of another being, not in terms of thoughts but emotions. Ash could tell of the person or Pokémon was sad, angry and if he concentrated hard enough he could even tell if the person/Pokémon was lying to him or not. 2) Sense their surroundings, even with their eyes closed. Ash had a lot of fun with this ability by freaking people out by speaking to them without giving any indication that he knew they were there. 3) The most useful and dangerous aspect of Aura. Manifesting Aura outside his body in tangible energy, and shaping it per his will. Attacks could be performed as Lucario had demonstrated or he could shape it into a barrier to absorb/reflect attacks. His most favourite use of this technique was manifesting a devil-like hand that he used for both defence and attacks *{1}. He was currently trying to change his Aura's element, something that Lucario told him he'd never been able to do, but Sir Aaron was adept at. His mother had joked that Ash might have been a new species of Pokémon with the amazing things he could do. 4) He could 'link' up his Aura to his Pokémon, and it had the added effect of them being able to communicate telepathically as well as boosting their energies *{2}.

Mastering his Aura had opened up a new world to him. He could understand Pokémon perfectly and he felt closer to them than he had felt ever before. It forced Ash to realize that there were still too many things that were unknown to him, and he had a long journey to become a Pokémon Master. At first he'd been reluctant to travel without his friends, but in hindsight, he felt that it was a good decision for him to come to Hoenn anyway. The constant training and travelling had kept him from dwelling on thoughts about his friends. Though, he did make many new friends thorough the course of his journey. Wattson, the excitable old man who ran the Electric Gym in Mauville City. Flannery of Lavaridge town and Winona of Fortree City. He'd even managed to impress Drake, who, Ash had later come to know was the strongest member of the Hoenn Elite Four.

Professor Oak had been practically dancing at the feedback that he had received from Ash and his Pokémon that Professor Oak assured him, were among the most powerful and healthy Pokémon that he'd ever taken care of. Ash had also provided useful information about Pokémon evolution. Ash had observed that Pokémon when they evolved gained a maturity that came with age and experience. Ash had also told the Professor that on evolution, they changed their personalities, not by much, but enough for Ash to notice.

As was usual, he'd somehow managed to become a part of various crimes by the criminal organizations in the Hoenn Region. But due to his recent training, and with the help of Lucario and his other Pokémon, he'd managed to stay out of the hospital. It helped with the guilt that he felt every time his mother had come to visit him at the hospital during the start of his journey.

Latias and Lugia had also grown tremendously alongside Ash, to the point that Ash no longer felt the need to worry about them every time they were out of their Pokéballs. Both had learned enough control of their Psychic abilities to utilize Telepathy. Delia was particularly ecstatic, Ash would sometimes send Latias and Lugia back to her, both to keep her updated, and give them some time to relax and visit Ash's mother. Latias was particularly fond of Delia and had even started to call her mom. Lugia had gone back to visit her mother sometimes as well, both to meet her and get some instruction as well.

Ash had encountered Kyogre, Groudon and even Rayquaza when he'd helped Lance, the current Kanto-Jhoto joint Champion. Jirachi, Manaphy and Deoxys had also been helped by Ash during his journey. Lance had been impressed with his skills and had told him to contact him if there was anything that he needed help with. Needless to say, Ash had had been awed at the older man's praise.

Ash using his Aura abilities was able to include Pokémon into his 'family' that truly wanted to be captured by a Trainer. Throughout his journey, he'd captured many Pokémon.

A Mudkip was his first capture, who had expressed interest in coming with the raven haired trainer after he'd seen Ash training together with his Pokémon. Mudkip had challenged Wartortle to a battle and after a valiantly fought battle, had accepted Ash as his Trainer. He'd evolved against a random Trainer who had challenged Ash to a battle, but steadfastly refused to evolve thereafter. Ash had a feeling that Marshtomp wanted to continue his rivalry with Wartortle on equal terms.

A wild Seedot had practically jumped onto him, knocking Pikachu off and challenging Ash's starter to a battle. Pikachu, annoyed by the small Pokémon had finished the battle quite quickly and Ash had captured him. Seedot had been quick to accept Ash as well. He'd evolved into Nuzleaf during his gym battle against Wattson.

His third capture had been quite a scare. A Shiny Ralts, who was being hounded by Trainers and Pokémon alike, had caught Lucario's attention. He'd brought the Pokémon's plight to Ash attention and keeping in tune with Ash's kindness, Ash had offered his help to Ralts. Ralts had been wary, but being a Psychic, and part of a species of Pokémon that was more attuned to emotions, she had quickly accepted his help and voluntarily captured herself. She had been quick to evolve into a Kirila and subsequently evolved into a Gardevoir to help Ash win against Drake. She had quickly risen to be among Ash's most capable battlers.

Nosepass, his fourth capture, was a very enthusiastic Pokémon. It had also challenged Ash as he made his way through the caves north of Dewford Town.

Trapinch had been the same. It led a small force of its other Trapinchs, and regularly challenged the native Pokémon to battles. The townspeople were very annoyed by this, but they could never manage to find the elusive Pokémon. Ash had again relied on his Aura to sense Trapinch and challenged it to a battle. After the battle Trapinch had been excited on seeing his Marshtomp's strength and also accepted Ash as its Trainer. Ash had been quite surprised to find that his Trapinch was female. She had evolved into a Vibrava during one of Ash's training sessions and finally into a Flygon to help Ash recover Pikachu when he had faced Kyogre and Groudon.

Corphish had been captured by Ash at the beach. Corphish as Ash later found out was lonely and wanted to make friends. But, it had never been raised with other members of its species and thus was quite rough in his actions. Ash had spent a lot of time showing Corphish how to act, and the small Ruffian Pokémon was now quite happy with his new life among friends. He'd evolved into a Crawdaunt during his gym battle against Flannery's Torkoal.

Ash had 'rescued' Feebas from a group of children who were poking fun at her appearance. Ash had been quick to defend her and reassured her that she was quite a beautiful Pokémon. Feebas had expressed interest in coming with him, not wanting to stay where she was. Ash had spent a lot of time on her self-confidence, and promised her that she would be called beautiful in battle. She'd evolved into a Milotic when Juan had commented to Ash about her beautiful performance in battle against the Water-Type Gym leader.

Ash had encountered an Absol who was being beaten, almost to the point of death. Alarmed, he'd released his party of Pokémon to defend it. On being accused of helping the Absol bring disaster upon the village, Ash had 'educated' the villagers that Absol as a species were not bringers of disaster, but could sense them and tried their best to warn others of it. The villagers had been sceptical, and Ash had left the Village with their beliefs, capturing the Absol to help it recover in the Pokéball till he got to the Pokémon centre. After being healed, Ash had apologized for his actions and asked if the Absol wanted to be released. Absol had replied negatively and had joined Ash's 'family'. He had to reassure several of his Pokémon that the Dark type Pokémon meant no harm, and over time Absol had been accepted by the others. Surprisingly, Gardevoir had been the first one to accept the Disaster Pokémon. Ash had been humbled by the absolute faith that Gardevoir had shown towards her Trainer.

Ash's next Pokémon was one which he had received as an egg. The old couple who ran the Pokémon Day-care Centre in Lavaridge Town, had given Ash an egg as a thank you for defending their Pokémon field from some poachers who were after Pokémon eggs. The egg had hatched relatively early and Ash had been surprised to see a Shiny Vulpix, a female in gender. Vulpix had demanded Ash's attention for a few weeks as it grew up enough to learn battling. Ash had been very reluctant at first, not sure if Vulpix was ready or not. Latias and Lugia along with his other Pokémon were quick to assure them that it was quite safe and that Vulpix was ready. Much to Latias's delight, she had gained another friend in Vulpix when she had revealed to know Psychic. Vulpix couldn't use it as an attack, but the little fox was quite eager to learn to speak telepathically. She had evolved into a Ninetails during his Gym Battle against the twin Gym Leaders Tate and Liza.

Ash's Snowrunt, had been quite a troublemaker, and Ash was still trying to control his mischief creating tendencies. Ash had a lot of work to do before he had managed to direct Snowrunt's enthusiasm towards training together with his other Pokémon. Surprisingly, Snowrunt, who was a female had developed a rivalry with Flygon and was continually challenging her to a sparring battle. Ash encouraged such behaviour but had to intervene a few times when things went overboard.

After his battle against Drake, Ash had a desire to train his own Salamence as well. So he'd spent almost 3 weeks searching in the wilderness for any dragon settlement that was peaceful enough that he could approach safely. Unluckily, he'd managed to find the Dragon Den, but didn't feel any desire form any of the members for seeking a Trainer. Undeterred, Ash had gone about, being as careful as he could be, asking individual Bagons for battles. Three days of repeating the schedule, and Ash had finally found a quiet Bagon who was beginning to show interest in him. One battle against Ash's Dragonair later and ash had welcomed his new Bagon into his family. Bagon who hid deceptive strength inside his body still hadn't evolved, but was steadily getting better at battling. He was still relatively quiet though.

Unlike his final battle against John Dickson at the Silver Conference, Ash was quite satisfied with his performance in the battle against Tyson. He'd thought long and hard about his battle at the Silver Conference, but he'd come to conclusion that he'd panicked, and had perhaps been a little over-confident. He'd switched back into Type-Effectiveness and forgot that he would need to ignore that and focus on his Pokémon and their skills against an opponent. True, he'd once again lost in the Finals, but this time he had no trouble accepting that Tyson was a better Trainer than he was. He'd also chosen to battle primarily with his Hoenn Pokémon, as they deserved to participate in battle in their Regional League. His other Pokémon had understood his reasoning and while all of them had agreed, some were quite grudging about it.

After the battle, Tyson had come to meet him, and had congratulated him for giving him such an amazing battle. He told Ash that he'd been a Trainer for 11 years and even with his experience Ash had still managed to bring the battle to the last of their Pokémon. Ash's Pikachu vs Tyson's Meowth. Tyson told Ash that he'd received a Pokémon Egg as an additional prize for winning the tournament, but Tyson had recognized the egg for what it was. He told Ash that he already had Metagross in his team, and he would like to give Ash the Egg. Ash had accepted and by the time that he had got home the egg had hatched into a Shiny Beldum.

(Break)

On his way back from the Hoenn League, Ash was approached by a man who introduced himself as Scott. Ash had been quite wary of the man, but he didn't sense any inherent evilness or maliciousness in his Aura and had followed him to a nearby café. Scott had gone on to tell him about the Battle Frontier. It was the brainchild of Scott who stated that he simply loved Pokémon in all its forms, and had thus travelled all over the world looking for Trainers who had specialized in one form of raising Pokémon or other. The facility had only been open for six months, and Scott was again travelling over the regions. Personally inviting Trainers that he felt were worthy enough to challenge the Battle Frontier.

Ash had been very interested in this new form of 'League' that Scott had set up. Exchanging numbers, he'd promised that he would definitely come around to challenge the battle frontier. Upon hearing that since beginning its operation 6 months ago, not one trainer had been able to beat the Frontier Brains and complete the Battle Frontier Ash had become quite excited with the idea of postponing his journey to Sinnoh. Scott had told him that the Battle Frontier was set up such that Challengers had to travel throughout the Kanto and Jhoto region to challenge the Frontier Brains. The first location would be revealed to the Challengers and after each subsequent victory, the next location would be revealed to them. Ash had complimented Scott on his achievement and had made his way back to Pallet Town before he challenged the Battle Frontier.

Unknown by Ash, there was a surprise waiting for him at home. After he'd arrived, he had spent some time with his Pokémon and his mother. Delia had told Ash that Professor Birch from the Hoenn region was arriving at Professor Oak's Ranch tomorrow. Ash had immediately asked Professor Oak if they were going to be discussing their research on Pokémon and asked that if that was the case if the old Professor would mind if Ash could sit in as well. Much to Ash's disappointment, Professor Oak had said that Professor Birch was only escorting a new Trainer to the Kanto Region as a favour for a friend, and would leave for his actual meeting in the Kanto region a few hours after resting up.

Much to Ash's surprise, Professor Birch had come to meet him and introduced him to the Professor's charges. That was how Ash had met May and Max Maple, daughter and son of Gym Leader Norman of the Hoenn Region. May was a 16 year old brunette and her brother Max was a 10 year old Pokémon Trainer Trainee. On hearing that Ash would be travelling around Kanto and Jhoto challenging the Battle Frontier, Max had asked Ash if the brother-sister duo could travel together with him. Ash had been reluctant, for many reasons. Team Rocket was much more active in Kanto and Jhoto than in Hoenn and Ash had made himself a target. Ash didn't want to scare May unnecessarily, but looking at the expression on her face Ash figured that he'd only increased her worries. Eventually, after his mom had pointed out that that was more of a reason to travel in a group, Ash had relented and together the trio had left Pallet Town. Ash was quite surprised, and happy, to know that Brock's father had commenced his duties as the Gym Leader, freeing up Brock to travel together with Ash. Unfortunately, Misty had done such a good job of defending the Cerulean Gym that it had gained a reputation as one of the strongest Gyms of the Kanto region. The Gym was Misty's pride and joy and thus Misty couldn't ask her sisters to take up the Gym again. Ash had understood, but he had advised her to start up training again, with the goal of being a part of the Elite Four as a Water Pokémon Trainer. Misty had laughed off Ash's suggestion until ash had told her in clear terms that she had the potential, and she shouldn't squander it.

Meeting May had introduced Ash to the world of contests. True, they were being held in Sinnoh for a long time, but this year was only the second year when the Grand Conference was being held in Kanto. Contests had never held much appeal for Ash and he'd dismissed them as a 'hobby', not as anything serious that people did. Of course, he'd been careful not to show his feelings on this matter to May. She was nervous enough as it was. But, after watching May and her Pokémon practice for the 5 ribbons that were needed, he'd revised his earlier thinking. Oh, he'd never be able to pull of being a showman, and he suspected neither could his Pokémon. But, due to his Aura, he could feel the determination and the joy that May and her Pokémon felt after a successful Training routine, and that more than anything told him that Contests were not hobbies. Moreover, watching May train had also given him several ideas that Ash felt could be useful in battling.

Max had been awed when he'd seen Ash's Pokémon and heard of his achievements. Ash had been tolerating, but sometimes the hero-worship that Max did got to him. Thankfully, May was quite a bit more restrained in her admiration. As Ash had suspected, the Battle Frontier lived up to its name and provided Ash who was a seasoned Trainer with tough challenges. But, together with his Pokémon, Ash had persevered until finally he'd met Brandon, the 7th Frontier Brain and the strongest Trainer in the Battle Frontier. Brandon had been the first Trainer that Ash had challenged that used Legendary Pokémon in battle. Seeing that they were in a floating pyramid and apart from his friends and the robotic referee there was no one else present, Ash had finally used Lugia and Latias in battle. Brandon had been utterly shocked that Ash had a Legendary, let alone two, that obviously listened to his orders in battle. The battle that was fought between them was the most exciting, powerful, and speedy battles that Ash had ever fought. Much to Ash's joy, both Latias and Lugia's training had paid off and both of them had managed to scrape a win against Registeel and Regirock. Charizard had performed magnificently against Regice, and after a hard fought battle managed a win. On hearing of Charizard's triumph over a Legendary Pokémon who belonged to a seasoned Trainer, all of Ash's Pokémon had gained a second wind and begun training even more intensely.

Scott had congratulated Ash on his victory and Ash's name had forever been engraved into the hall of fame for being the First Trainer to complete the Battle Frontier Challenge. Scott had even offered him a spot as a Frontier Brain, but Ash had told him that while it was a very tempting offer, he was still in his teens, and wasn't even a legal adult. He had told Scott that he wanted to become a Pokémon Master, and as such being a Frontier Brain would get in the way of Ash following after his dream. Noland and Greta were sad to hear about Ash's refusal. Noland, who had almost as much knowledge as Professor Oak, had relished the chance to discuss theories with Ash. Greta on the other hand had finally found a sparring partner that she could go all out against. Greta, being a Ki user couldn't fight to her fullest against normal humans. While she had complemented Ash on his stamina and strength, she'd pointed out that his technique was leaving holes and had too many un-necessary movements. Ash had promised her that he'd come visit her again after he'd improved.

During the year that he'd travelled, Beldum had evolved into a Metang. Both, Ivysaur and Wartortle had evolved into Venusaur and Blastoise. On seeing Blastoise, Marshtomp had trained vigorously until he'd evolved into a Swampert, not one to fall behind his rival. Golbat had evolved against Noland's Venusaur, into a Crobat. Bagon had evolved into a Shelgon after it had challenged a particularly big, wild Rhydon to a battle. Grovyle had evolved into Sceptile to protect May's Pokémon while the group was under attack by Team Rocket Grunts. Ash had put forth much more effort into sensing people using Aura after that attack. Up until then, Ash hadn't been able to sense people, only Pokémon. It still wasn't going well, but Ash figured that having some warning was better than having none. Electabuzz and Magmar were impatient to evolve after Ash had told them about their evolutions. But, the items needed were only available in the Sinnoh Region.

After bidding goodbye to May, whom Ash had mentored throughout the year, and Max, whom Ash had tolerated, Ash and Brock made plans to meet up in the Sinnoh Region after three months. Ash had made up his mind that this time, during the Sinnoh League, he'd win. And he would use Pokémon that were native to the Sinnoh Region while doing it. At least, until he had to challenge any Elite Four member. Ash prepared for the three months by setting up training schedules for his Pokémon that he wouldn't be taking with him. Pikachu, Lucario, Gardevoir, Latias, and Lugia would be accompanying Ash to Sinnoh or any region thereafter. Thankfully, Ash had proved that he was capable of taking care of a large group of Pokémon and Professor Oak had increased his limit of Pokémon that he could carry to 15. Ash had decided on taking Pupitar, Metang, and Shelgon with him and would switch the three of them with the Pokémon that would be staying with his mother regularly, giving each of them time to stay with Ash, as well as rest after training hard. The rest of the 7 slots Ash decided would be his Sinnoh Region Pokémon.

Ash had also made notes of places that he wanted to visit while he was in the Sinnoh Region. There were legends to be uncovered, and understood. And the small part of him that cherished a good historical finding couldn't wait to get to it. He'd even asked Professor Oak if he could tell him if anything interesting came up in the news and Ash was near.

Ash was looking forward to his travel through the Sinnoh Region and unknown by him; it would be his most rewarding journey yet.

(Chapter End)

**A/N:- {1}Think Nero's Devil Arm from Devil May Cry 4**

**{2}Similar to Victini's 'charging' of Pokémon in the movie.**

**Also, if anyone wants a description of what Ash looks like or his travelling clothes, just imagine Sayoran Li from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, the green cloak with goggles picture. Now that I think about it, Latias human form can be imagined as Sakura from the same anime, but Ash and Latias strictly have a brother/sister relationship. **

**You can vote on my profile on what you want the pairing to be.**

**I think that's all I wanted to tell you. **


	2. Chapter 1 - Arrival In Sinnoh

**Chapter 1 – Arrival In Sinnoh**

Ash sighed with annoyance. Ash's mother hadn't liked the fact that he'd gone through Hoenn alone and had somehow found out that one of her major clients had a daughter that was starting her Pokémon journey in Sinnoh this year. She'd set it all up, without Ash's knowledge, and now he was stuck staring out at the sea clutching an address in his hands. He'd argued that he wasn't going to be travelling alone and that Brock was with him. Delia had been undeterred and had said that she had already promised. Ash sighed again.

'_You mustn't bring yourself down like this. You haven't met her yet, she could be pleasant.' _ Gardevoir, who was standing on the right side of Ash, invisible (Ash still couldn't believe that Gardevoir had been able to learn that skill from Latias, even Lugia was having problems with it) spoke into his mind.

"It's not about that. I guess I was looking forward to travelling alone after last year." Ash said, ignoring the weird looks that the other passengers out on the deck gave him. Ash inwardly laughed as he imagined the faces of the people on the ship and the scant Trainers if they were to know that Latias was flying invisible above the ship and Lugia was in the seas surrounding them.

Ash spent the rest of the trip looking at the scenery, the ground formations and the type of soil, estimating the age of the place. Sinnoh was much more different from the Kanto, Jhoto and Hoenn regions. It was far more technologically advanced for one thing, using satellites for all telecommunication and internet services. Ash couldn't even fathom the multitude of machinery that had gone into installing the whole thing. Other than that, it was said to be the land that was home to the Creation Trio. Ash was looking forward to the information that the scientists had uncovered and the different fossils that Ash could find. Maybe I'll find a hidden ruin, Ash joked to himself.

Ash was getting excited as he thought about all the new Pokémon that would encounter, the new moves that the Pokémon here had come up with, everything really. But despite everything, Ash was thankful about one thing that he would be able to enjoy in the Sinnoh Region, anonymity.

(Break)

After calling to make sure that Mrs Berlitz was expecting him, Ash had quickly made his way to Twinleaf Town, taking the scenic route and admiring all the new Pokémon that were living here. Gardevoir, as was usual for her, stayed out of the Pokéball along with Pikachu. Lucario didn't like the city life much, and preffered to stay inside his Pokéball whenever Ash was in town. Ash had no trouble finding the house and was greeted by a woman, who Ash estimated was a little younger than his own mother. She introduced herself as Johanna, and Ash had come to know the name of his future travelling partner, who was at this time getting ready.

The first impression that Ash had of Dawn was that she was incredibly 'mature' for her age. 13 year old girls were not supposed to be grown up like that. Ash had been staring for a while apparently as Dawn had gained a frown on her face as she asked, "What are you staring at?"

"You are pretty tall for a 13 year old." Ash had never been accused of not being able to think on his feet.

"For your information, I'm 15." She crossed her arms as she huffed.

Ash was now genuinely confused. She wasn't lying about her age, her Aura told him that. There was a distinct shift in emotions that happened whenever a person lied. Lucario had trained him enough to make out when that occurred. A seed of hope floundered in his heart as he imagined that Dawn might not be a Rookie Trainer. But, he would have to make sure. "Sorry, my mother told me that you hadn't gone on a journey yet. I just assumed that you'd have to be 13."

At this, Dawn shot a glare at her mother who ignored the look completely. "I would have if my mother let me."

Ash drooped.

"Well, we'd better get going. First we have to get to Professor Rowan's Lab, and after that I'm meeting a friend who'll be travelling together with us." Ash thanked Johanna for the breakfast she'd served him and after a few minutes of chit-chat the duo had been on their way.

(Break)

As Ash didn't have a bicycle the duo had to make their way to Professor Rowan's Lab on foot. Dawn had grumbled to herself, but kept quiet as she didn't want to annoy Ash too much. She was both thankful and annoyed that her mother had arranged for a travelling partner for her. Thankful that she wouldn't be alone and without human company, annoyed that even after making her wait 2 years her mother didn't believe that she could handle things on her own.

As they approached the Lab, Ash heard the sound of breaking glass. Since he was used to things breaking all the time at Professor Oak's Lab he didn't think that it was anything important. But, upon entering the Lab Ash came to know that Piplup and Chimchar had gotten into a fight over food and things had escalated from there. The Lab assistants had lost the two Pokémon who had escaped into the forest area of the Ranch. Dawn, eager to prove herself had immediately rushed out of the Lab with a groaning Ash following in her wake.

Ash had waited until the situation had come to a head and Dawn was frozen in the spot surrounded by Ariados with a frightened Piplup held steady in her hands. Ash was impressed by her dedication towards Pokémon and Ash's respect for her had gone up a bit. Ordering Gardevoir to use Hypnosis, she had taken care of the situation and Dawn had got her first look at one of Ash's Pokémon. Needless to say, she had been quite impressed by Gardevoir. Ash had quickly located the rest of the escaped Pokémon and they had made their way back to the Lab. They were just in time for Professor Rowan's return and he had thanked the two Trainers for their assistance. Dawn had been embarrassed at the praise, unused to such situations.

After Professor Rowan had taken care of updating Ash's Pokédex with the Sinnoh region Pokémon and Dawn had got her first Pokédex, along with Pokéballs and a lecture about the duties and responsibilities of a Pokémon Trainer, the duo had been on their way. Dawn had asked Ash about his journey and Ash had begun telling her about it, albeit a thoroughly rough and edited version. Gardevoir was still invisible, and until he was sure that Gardevoir trusted Dawn, he'd keep some of the information about himself secret. Gardevoir was a great judge of character and Ash knew that he couldn't go wrong with it.

After walking for a few hours, Dawn had been challenged to her first Battle. Her opponent was a Pokémon Trainer named Nando. Ash was pretty sure that Nando was a seasoned Trainer, both due to his age and his conduct. Problem was, Ash hadn't yet caught a new Pokémon as Nando obviously had, and Ash didn't believe in fighting battles that were overwhelmingly biased towards him.

"Hey Dawn, do you mind if I battled with your Piplup for this?" Ash asked.

"Why?"

"Well, it's your first day and this way both you and Piplup will be able to get a feel for what a battle is supposed to be like."

Dawn appeared to be indecisive, but agreed anyway. Ash took a few moments to explain things to Piplup, and scanned him using Dawn's Pokédex. Memorizing his moves and thinking of ways to use them effectively, Ash turned towards Nando.

"I hope you don't mind."

"Not in the very least. It is a sign of good friendship. I'll be using my Budew, if you please." Nando had a voice that was very polite, overly so but Ash didn't let that make him underestimate the Trainer. Ash doubted that Nando did this on purpose; it was just the way he was.

"Piplup, are you ready?" Ash received a very enthusiastic nod from Piplup. "You can have the first move."

"Thank you. Budew Sunny Day please." Budew released a ball of light that intensified the sun's brightness in a small area. Ash knew what Nando was planning, it was a very effective combo.

"Piplup, charge Peck attack and be ready to dodge when I say so."

"Budew, Bullet seed please." Budew opened its mouth and out sprang various seeds aimed directly at Piplup.

"Piplup, use Peck to counter." Piplup started pecking every bit of seeds that he could reach, he got most of them but still took a few hits. Nando's eyes narrowed fractionally. He took a chance.

"Budew, Absorb please." Budew nodded before it started running, with quite some speed towards Piplup, who was slightly tired after using his attacks and taking a few hits.

"Piplup use Bubblebeam to stop Budew." Bubbles sprang forth from Piplup's beak and Budew was sent flying back, interrupting its attack. Smoke covered Budew's form, but Nando didn't appear to be worried. That changed quickly as he saw Piplup approaching with a charged up Peck attack.

"Budew, use Solarbeam." Ash noticed his change in commands and smiled at successfully surprising his opponent.

Budew charged its Solarbeam, but before the grass type could launch its attack, Piplup drove his white glowing beak directly into Budew's centre, sending it flying back and winning Ash and Piplup the battle.

After the battle was settled and Nando had made sure that Budew was alright, Nando had asked Ash if he was going to be competing in the Sinnoh League. Ash had confirmed it, and Dawn had supplied that she was aiming to win the Sinnoh Grand Conference. Nando had then revealed that he was having trouble deciding whether he enjoyed contests more or Gym battles. Ash had kept quiet, sensing that Nando was not asking their opinion, just talking aloud to himself and his Pokémon. Dawn hadn't sensed it and had gone on to praise contests and kept pestering Nando to choose it. Ash had intervened and eventually, Nando had decided that he would pursue both until he would find one thing that he liked the best.

Lunch had been a hurried affair as both of them were quite intent on reaching Jubilife City by the time evening rolled about. Dawn had captured a Buneary, which much to Ash's amusement and Pikachu's nervousness had a crush on the yellow mouse. Dawn had participated in Battles on her own, and Ash was still searching for his first Sinnoh capture. It was as he was searching for Pokémon that he met a very unpleasant Pokémon Trainer named Paul. Ash had pointed out that he was wasting resources by capturing lots of the same Pokémon before deciding on the Pokémon which had the best moves. Paul had quite rudely told Ash that it was none of his business. But, Dawn was unwilling to let things go.

Dawn was quite incensed. She had heard all about Ash's journey and the way he treated his Pokémon, and seeing a fellow Pokémon Trainer treat Pokémon as things just rubbed her the wrong way.

"Hey! Why did you even become a Pokémon Trainer huh? With the way you treat your Pokémon . . ." Dawn was interrupted by Ash putting his hands on her shoulder and pulling her back a bit.

"What is it Ash!?"

"Just leave it be Dawn, he's just a lazy Trainer. There are all sorts of Trainers out in the world; you can't go picking a fight with everyone. Besides, at the very least he's taking care of his Pokémon." Ash explained calmly in the face of Dawn's ire.

Paul apparently didn't agree with Ash calling him lazy and immediately bristled. "Hey! Who do you think you are, calling me lazy? On what basis are you calling me that?"

Ash shrugged, "Well, I prefer to work with my Pokémon to teach them moves, I don't skip steps by catching Pokémon solely on the basis of the moves that they know."

Paul sneered arrogantly, "Well, I didn't know you were not serious about Pokémon Battles. Coddling your Pokémon is not the right way to gain strength. It is obvious to me that you are not a competent Trainer."

It was Ash's turn to get angry, and he could feel his Gardevoir's anger as well. '_Ash, I wish to battle him._'

Ash had no problems with that. "Throwing insults will get us nowhere, how about a Pokémon Battle? 1-on-1."

Paul smirked, confident in his victory and showing this Trainer, what was the meaning of being a Trainer. He decided that a bit of humiliation would go a long way in making his point. After all, he was the same age as Paul, and Paul was sure that he was among the best Trainers for his age. "A 1-on-1 battle is for Rookies. What do you say to a 3-on-3 battle?" Paul asked Ash condescendingly.

"Suit yourself. Though, we need to find another place for the battle. This area is too small." Ash replied coolly.

The three Trainers relocated to a grass field, and Paul was the first one to call out his Pokémon.

"Torterra, Battle Position."

"Gardevoir."

If Paul was surprised at Gardevoir's sudden appearance, he didn't show it. Paul immediately started to think of countering any Psychic attack. It was difficult and often times Pokémon Trainers were unable to tell what to do. Paul wasn't like the others, and took comfort in that fact. But, in his arrogance he underestimated Ash's competence.

"Torterra use Earthquake"

Paul was surprised when Ash didn't order anything.

Before Torterra could bring its front legs down to start the Earthquake, Gardevoir's eyes glowed an intense blue and Torterra was stopped in its attacks. Paul gritted his teeth and ordered a Giga Drain. Green coloured energy vines made its way towards Gardevoir only for her to split into many copies of herself. Paul gritted his teeth in frustration and ordered another Earthquake. This time, Gardevoir released a pained cry, but was quick to get back up. Paul ordered a Hyperbeam, which Gardevoir evaded easily. Paul was confused as to why Ash was ignoring the advantage that the raven haired Trainer had over him. It was one of Paul's strategies. Torterra had trained relentlessly in order to overcome the disadvantage of using such a powerful move, and every time an opponent would try to take advantage, Paul would order an attack at the last minute, getting a clean hit. Paul gritted his teeth and ordered a Leaf Storm. Just as Torterra was about to release the attack a solid white light, seemingly coming from nowhere slammed into Torterra.

As the dust cleared, it was clearly apparent that Torterra was unconscious. Paul snarled inwardly at missing the Future Sight attack.

"Why aren't you ordering your Pokémon?" Dawn was awed at the speed and strength of the battle taking place before her. It made the battle that she had taken part in seem almost boring.

"Gardevoir is a Psychic Type Pokémon. She has learned to read my mind, like most of other Psychic Pokémon." Ash informed her.

"Can all Psychic Pokémon do that?" Dawn asked excitedly.

"No. It takes a lot of training, both for the Trainer and the Pokémon. You see to communicate mentally, the Pokémon has to learn the language that we use. It's the same for other Pokémon too."

"Well, you might have an advantage, but I doubt that it will help you against my next Pokémon. Weavile, Battle Ready." Paul called out his dual Ice/Dark type Pokémon. Ash frowned slightly, but then relaxed. He trusted Gardevoir, and she wasn't worried.

"Weavile use Sword's Dance and then get close to use Night Slash." Paul ordered. Unfortunately for him Weavile's extended claws glowing with dark energy was stopped short by the blue barrier that Gardevoir had erected. Weavile struggled against the barrier, and broke through scoring a hit on Gardevoir. Gardevoir was definitely tired at this point and Ash was getting worried, not about losing the battle, but about Gardevoir. It had been a long time since she had taken damage in a battle. Ash's worries proved unfounded and Ash was getting into the battle. He encouraged Gardevoir to get up out loud and then, "Gardevoir, charge Focus Blast."

Gardevoir put her hands together and prepared the devastating Fighting-Type move. Paul had recognized that he had made in mistake in underestimating the other Trainer. If his Gardevoir was anything to go by, he was a powerful and gifted Trainer. Paul may lose the battle but he was determined to get every advantage he could out of it. He was still annoyed by himself though; it had been a while since anyone had got under his skin. But one thing that Paul could not, would not, respect were Ash's approach to training his Pokémon. It was too close to his brother's approach and Paul was determined to not give up Pokémon Battles like his brother. Torterra would be going through some harsh Training later.

"Weavile, Hyper Beam, full power." Paul instructed coldly. On the side-lines, Dawn squeaked and stepped back.

As the two Pokémon released their attacks, the force was great as the two powerful attacks struck each other. The small blue ball of energy struggled against the pillar of light that was the Hyper Beam. As was usual, there was a huge explosion which enveloped the two Pokémon. Paul shielded his eyes and waited for the explosion to die down. Paul wasn't as affected at seeing the conclusion as he should have been. Weavile was down.

Gardevoir wasn't feeling much better and was panting harshly. It had been a long time since she had pushed herself to this point. Ash appraised the strength of Paul's Pokémon. But, he could never condone the method that Paul followed. "Gardevoir, take rest. You battled magnificently." Ash praised his Pokémon. Gardevoir looked as if she wished to continue, but heeded to her Trainer's command and floated to Ash's side. After Paul had returned his Pokémon. Ash threw out his next choice.

"Metang, I choose you." And out came Ash's shiny Metang.

Paul raised his eyebrows. Ash seemed to have a collection of rare and powerful Pokémon. "Are you a Pokémon collector or something?" he asked.

Ash smiled in response, "No. But I get what you're saying." The earlier animosity seemed to have disappeared as the two Trainers battled.

Paul considered his next choice, and figured that he would take advantage of facing a powerful opponent for Training and accurately getting a good reading on his Pokémon.

"Chimchar, don't disappoint me."

Ash's good battle mood disappeared instantly. While it was true that Paul was free in his choices, the Chimchar that had appeared was barely out of his baby stage. Paul had obviously caught him quite recently. Metang seemed to share his thoughts and turned to look towards Ash, unsure of how to proceed with this battle. Metang had its pride after all.

"Chimchar, Flame wheel." Paul ordered and Chimchar flinched before fire spewed forth from his mouth and he rolled forward towards Metang with impressive speed.

"Metang, Iron Defence. Grab him." Metang's body glowed with a blue outline and its silver steel body shined. Chimchar slammed into Metang and it was pushed back a few feet, but it didn't appear to have taken any damage. As Chimchar lost his momentum, and as the fire retreated, Metang brought down one of its arms and skilfully grabbed hold of Chimchar who immediately began struggling to get free. Ash was reluctant with his next order. "Takedown"

Metang brought up its arms high and slammed Chimchar hard into the ground. It was over.

"That was not a good choice Paul. Chimchar was not ready for such a battle." Ash glared up at Paul.

"I train Pokémon in the way I think is right. I will admit that you are a competent Trainer, but I don't agree with your methods. Thank you for the battle." Paul curtsied, and left.

"Yeah, same here." Ash shook his head. Paul was a good guy, but seemed to have a cruel streak within him. Ash shook his head, he was ashamed to admit it, but when he'd started out on his journey he was much like Paul. Travelling together with Brock and Misty and together with his Pokémon had changed him. Ash wondered whether he would have turned out like Paul if Brock and Misty hadn't accompanied him.

(Break)

Brock had surprised Ash by hitchhiking with a young woman while they were on the road. Ash had chuckled in remembrance when Brock had been told by the woman that she had a boyfriend. Somehow, all the other girls that Brock went after, excluding his weird obsession with Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny, either had no intrest in dating Brock or already were in a relationship. Ash had also contemplated dating, but with him constantly being on the move, there were no city girls that he could ask out. That left dating fellow Pokémon Trainers. But, Ash hadn't yet met someone who Ash had found himself attracted to, as a person. There were many, many, females he was attracted to. Moreover, between his Training with Lucario and taking care of his Pokémon and bouncing between Leagues to gain attendance to participate in the Champion's League Ash had no time for dating.

After introductions were made, the three travellers made their way onto Jubilife City. Dawn was awed at the prospect of travelling with the two boys, an actual Gym Leader and a Pokémon Trainer who she'd seen was very capable at battling. Ash was happy at Brock's arrival for many reasons. First and foremost Brock's food was to die for, and he took care of Pokémon magnificently keeping in line with his dream of becoming the world's best Pokémon breeder. Brock was very quick at diagnosing Pokémon and their feelings and was only trumped by Ash due to his Aura abilities. Brock had claimed various times that he was insanely jealous, but his good nature prevented him from holding it against Ash too long. Also, while travelling together with May and Max; Brock had taken on the job of explaining things to them. Sometimes Ash wondered where Brock had the patience, but he figured that having to take care of his siblings might have had something to do with that.

As night approached and the number of random Trainers who challenged the group to battles dispersed back to their own homes or camps, the group set out finding a suitable spot to set up camp, Ash wandered away from his two companions signalling to Brock that he would find them later. Brock had immediately understood and engaged Dawn in informing her about the different ways of taking proper care of Water Type Pokémon, Dawn hanging on to his every word. Ash found a spot with a lot of surrounding trees and concentrated closing his eyes. He felt for the presence of Latias and Lugia, and after some time found them flying in the general area above his position, high up in the sky. They recognized his presence and let him into their minds. Pikachu, ever the curious and excitable mouse, greeted them enthusiastically.

'_We're going to stop here for the day. Come on down, brock will surely be making a feast.'_

'_Oh! I love Brock's cooking.' _ That was Lugia who was always excited at the prospect of food, much like Ash.

'_Dawn seems to be a nice girl'_ True to her fashion, Latias was more in tune to Ash and understood his reluctance of introducing them sooner.

A few minutes later, Ash spotted Lugia making her way towards Ash at terrifying speed, and as she level out, sending broken twigs and small stones flying away. Latios was much more composed in her appearance simply appearing next to Ash. Ash smiled at his two friends.

Ash climbed atop Lugia, who immediately took to the skies with one flap of her powerful 'fins'. Latios was not far behind. Ash decided to challenge himself to finding Brock and Dawn using his Aura abilities to sense humans, something that he was still getting good at, and would require practice. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He was immediately acutely aware of his Pokémon, their feelings, their joy at flying together with him, their wonder at the new sights, their excitement at the prospect of battling powerful foes and overcoming challenges. It was how Ash 'felt' the emotions on using his Aura. Pokémon were always more 'bright' in expressing their emotions than humans and in the scrolls that were written by the Aura Guardians of past, it was the reason why Pokémon depended on friends and their chosen Trainers for guidance. With a bit of effort, and straining himself enough that Latias nudged him with her head in mid-air, Ash found Brock and Dawn. Brock was easier to find than Dawn was, as Ash was already familiar with his 'presence' in his mind. Ash grinned mischievously as he imagined Dawn's reaction. At the back of his mind, Ash heard faint giggling noises courtesy of Gardevoir.

(Break)

Dawn was awed at the different things that Trainers had to watch out for while raising their Pokémon. She couldn't believe her luck and now thanked her mom for arranging this for her journey. None of the stuff that Brock was telling her was in any of the books and guides that she had referred to while preparing for her Trainer's Exam. She had asked Brock why this was and Brock had simply stated that the things that he talked about were his observations and while he was sure about his abilities, he had not ever published any papers regarding that. Dawn had known that Pokémon Trainers rarely if ever gave up secrets about their Pokémon and the places that they visited, but Brock was being very forthcoming with her. She had asked him why this was and Brock had replied that it was one of his duties as an aspiring Breeder and that since Gardevoir was in plain sight of them, Dawn was obviously a trustworthy person.

Dawn had to re-evaluate Ash's personality many times over the day. When she had first met him, he'd been just like any other guy, checking her out and while he wasn't blatantly obvious with his staring, it was noticeable. But, her mother had trusted him and she hadn't thought much on it. It was just an added bonus that he wasn't completely revolting. But, as they had travelled and made it to Professor Rowan's lab, she had seen that he was indeed a seasoned Pokémon Trainer when he'd defeated the group of Ariados with his Gardevoir. And after that was meeting Nando, and then the battle between Paul and Ash. It reminded her of the battles that were shown on the television. Ash was a good person she had decided, a bit quiet, but polite. Though, she could sometimes see the annoyance in his eyes. But, he's still helped her through the battles that she'd had today.

It was when Dawn had glanced at Gardevoir had she noticed that Ash was missing. Brock had chuckled and told her to wait and that he would come soon enough, he just had something to do and to be ready for a surprise. Dawn had been waiting patiently, fiddling with her Pokédex and looking at the points that she had accumulated for the day. Suddenly, the wind picked up in the clearing and Dawn's vision was filled with white. She spotted Ash dismounting from the Pokémon, which Dawn surprisingly couldn't recognize. She used her Pokédex but as was the case with Ash's Gardevoir, her Pokédex didn't have the information.

"Ash, which Pokémon is that? It's beautiful!" Dawn exclaimed as she walked closer, but stopped at the look that Lugia gave her. Ash patted Lugia, reassuring her that Dawn was a friend.

"Dawn, there are things that I have to tell you if you are going to be travelling with us. You have to promise that under no circumstances are you to tell anyone about what I tell you." Ash said seriously, looking intently at Dawn making sure that she realized that he wasn't kidding. Dawn promised immediately.

And it was in this way that Dawn had met her first and second Legendary Pokémon. On the first day of her journey no less. She was ecstatic.

(Chapter End)

A/N :- Hello all! I just wanted to thank you for all the wonderful reviews that you have left me with. I have a pretty good idea going on in my head, I just have to write it out. Rest assured that I will be including all the Sinnoh region Movies in this story and Ash will be befriending more Legendaries, some may even decide to join him ;-)

Please tell me your thoughts on the battle between Paul, I have a little difficulty writing battles. Any comments/advices would be welcome.

Cheers!


	3. Chapter 3 - Jubilife City

**Chapter 2 – Jubilife City**

Dawn had a lot of questions for Ash, but she held her tongue in check. She understood that she could be annoying, and truthfully she was also a little scared at the prospect of angering Ash. He had powers, powers that she didn't and couldn't understand. Thus, she was a little subdued the next morning. Brock glanced at Dawn, wondering what was going through her mind. Thankfully, Ash wasn't here, having gone off to train together with his Lucario and his Pokémon. Listening to the distant crashes and the occasional rumble of thunder brought with it a sense of recognition for the aspiring Breeder. Judging by the occasional twitches of Dawn, Brock assumed that she would need some time to process everything.

"Brock, how much farther until we reach Jubilife City?"

Brock considered his answer carefully, "At our current pace we should arrive by today evening." Dawn nodded in response.

"Do you think Ash would mind if I told my mother?"

"You'd have to ask him. Though, I don't think it'll be much of a problem." Dawn didn't appear to be any happier and Brock continued, "Dawn, it's a pretty big thing to get used to, believe me I know. But, Ash is a good person; you don't need to be scared of him."

"Hey Brock! Is breakfast ready yet?"

Ash's loud call startled Dawn and she almost lost her balance. Brock chuckled at the sight while Dawn glared at him. "It isn't funny!" she spat crossly.

(Break)

The group had been travelling for a few hours when they came upon an interesting sight. Ash had been wondering why they had encountered less and less Pokémon living with their species, and more diverse group of Pokémon living together. There was a mansion that was built right in the middle of the forest and as the group approached, they could make out a lone figure, and old woman who was tending the garden surrounding the mansion. She spotted them and waved them over.

"Hello! Are you Pokémon Trainers?" asked the old lady.

"Yes ma'am, we are. Do you need any help?" Ash asked, inclining his head to the watering can in the woman's hand. Dawn was somewhat surprised by his helping nature, surprised because offering her help hadn't even occurred to her.

"Oh! Thank you, my name is Clara." Clara said as she handed the can to Ash, "I'm afraid Turtwig tired me out a bit this morning. He can be such a dear."

"I'm Ash, these are my friends Brock and Dawn." Ash introduced, "Are you a Pokémon Breeder, or a Trainer?"

"Oh! None I'm afraid. I love living in the forest, and some of the Pokémon eventually became my friends." Clara smiled pleasantly.

After Ash had helped her out, she invited the group to lunch and later asked if any one of them would be willing to take care of Turtwig and take them along on their journey. Brock had asked if there was anything wrong with Turtwig.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with him dear, just the opposite in fact. Turtwig, has been an immense help to me in managing the Pokémon who visit, it's just that lately he's been feeling a little cooped up I think. He's always taking care of others and I'm afraid that it's putting too much pressure on him. I hate to see him this way." Clara explained her predicament and shook her head sadly.

Ash glanced at Brock and raised his eyebrows. Turtwig sounded like it would need help, and after hearing its personality Ash was sure that Turtwig and Brock would get along perfectly. But, there was another member in their party, and Ash couldn't ignore her.

"Dawn, do you want to train Turtwig?" Ash asked, inwardly knowing that Brock would be a better choice.

Dawn considered it for a moment before she shook her head, "Turtwig sounds like a tough Pokémon. It would like battling much more than contests, I think."

Ash smiled at her for her consideration, and Dawn felt a little less unsure of Ash. "Well, Brock what do you say?"

"I'd love to help Turtwig, are you sure you don't want to train him?" Brock asked.

Ash shook his head. Eventually, after the group had finished with their lunch they went to meet the Pokémon and Turtwig was reluctant at first but after Clara reassured him that she would be fine without his help he accepted Brock's offer. But, just as Brock threw the Pokéball to capture Turtwig, it was blasted off course by a Bubblebeam. Ash turned towards he culprit, and was surprised to see a Piplup glaring at Brock. The small blue penguin immediately took up a stance before the group and began waving its arms in a come-hither motion, speaking all the while. Gardevoir was helpful enough to provide Ash with a translation.

'_Piplup, wants to battle. He's bored here and wants to leave. He wishes to challenge you.' _

Ash had no problems with that and sensing his Trainer's intent, Pikachu immediately jumped down from Ash's shoulders and sparked his cheeks at Piplup. Piplup appeared to be unsure for a moment, but them squared it's shoulders and released a Bubblebeam right at Pikachu. Ash grinned slightly at the Piplup's actions.

"Pikachu! Dodge then use Agility." Ash ordered calmly.

Pikachu got on all fours and dashed around at dizzying speeds, confusing the Piplup who couldn't hit Pikachu with his Bubblebeam accurately. Continuing this for a while, Ash waited to see if Piplup would be smart enough to use a different strategy, and to Ash's pleasant surprise, Piplup surrounded himself with multiple rings of water which he released in all directions using his flippers to direct them, a confident expression on his face. Aqua Ring, a support and recovery move used offensively. Obviously, this Piplup was quite good. Pikachu, was doing a good job of evading the rings of water heading towards him, but eventually tripped up.

Ash decided that he'd seen enough and ordered, "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu grinned in response to Ash's command and took off towards Piplup in a straight line, a huge amount of electricity surrounding his body. Piplup appeared shocked that his prized move hadn't worked and as such presented a vulnerable target to Pikachu. The yellow mouse slammed hard into the Pokémon and sent it flying away, knocking the Piplup out cold. Ash withdrew a Pokéball from his cloak and threw it accurately. Once the Pokéball beeped a successful capture, Ash called out Piplup and followed a simple rule he stood by.

"Hello Piplup, My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm a Pokémon Trainer. Nice to meet you." Ash smiled reassuringly at him, bending down to Piplup's eye level. Piplup appeared excited, but Ash still ploughed on.

"I'm on a journey to become a Pokémon Master. Would you like to work together with me to get stronger?" Piplup nodded his head emphatically.

"Okay then! Welcome to the family, Piplup!" Piplup clenched his fists, and patted himself on the chest. Ash laughed at his antics.

(Break)

Now that Ash had caught his first Sinnoh Pokémon, he took a more active role in the random battles that the group was challenged to. Dawn who had accumulated a large amount of credits, was leery of losing in a battle and was only too happy to let Ash take the lead. Ash and Piplup spent the rest of the afternoon getting used to battling together, and as evening approached true to Brock's prediction, the group had made their way to Jubilife City.

Dawn had immediately suggested checking in at the Pokémon centre, both to heal up their Pokémon and more importantly for Dawn, to give her a chance to transfer her earned credits to her personal Trainer's account. Ash and Brock had no problems with that, and they made their way to the Pokémon Centre. Ash figured now that he was going to be using new Pokémon, he might as well follow Dawn's actions and deposit his credits as well.

"Dawn, when is the contest scheduled to be held?" Ash asked as he spotted Dawn coming out after talking with her mother.

"It's the day after tomorrow, so I and my Pokémon have a lot of training to do tomorrow." Dawn said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Ash was surprised at her confidence, but chose to remain silent. There were some things that Ash couldn't help her with. "Well, there is a Gym in Oreburgh City. We'll be going there after you've finished with your contest."

"Sounds good to me. I think I'm going to turn in early so that I can start bright and fresh tomorrow." Dawn said making her way towards the living quarters inside the Pokémon Centre.

"You can ask Brock to wake you up tomorrow. He's usually awake early every morning." Ash advised. After all, Ash had relied upon Brock to wake him up several times in the past. Ash knew that he slept like a rock and it took a lot to get him up. Dawn thanked Ash and Ash made his way out to explore the City and stock up on some supplies. Like Dawn, Ash intended to train together with Piplup tomorrow.

Jubilife City lived up to its name. The entire City was made on ground carved out of the mountain ranges that surrounded the City on three sides. The only way forward towards Oreburgh City was through the Oreburgh Cave towards the west. Jubilife City was the most modernized city in the entire Sinnoh Region, according to the tourist guide that Ash had picked up at the Pokémon Centre. Ash was thankful for that fact. He had many things that he wanted to pick up before he set out into the wilderness in the Sinnoh Region. Sinnoh was said to be the most modernized region, apart from the Unova Region, and Ash intended to take full advantage of that fact.

With that in mind, Ash entered the massive shopping complex aptly named as PokéTech. Ash spent a lot of time browsing through the collection, and after a few hours shopping, picked up three PokéNav's a laptop with a built in GPS and Echo Sounder, boasting a range of 12 miles of accurate surface graph. Ash was excited by the purchase he'd made despite the hefty sum that he'd had to pay for it. It would prove to be an invaluable tool for charting routes when Ash and his friends travelled to unchartered and unexplored territory.

After making his purchases, Ash went to the local City Library. It was a stop that Ash made in any new City, both to learn of its history and/or any Legends of the surrounding areas. The City Library was impressive, but not as impressive as the one he'd seen in Rota. After browsing through some books, Ash decided that while the City was quite advanced technologically, it wasn't much of a historical site.

As night approached, Ash had one final stop to make before he turned in for the night. Supplies from the PokéMart. Ash was quite tired from navigating the city on foot, and when he arrived at the PokéMart Ash barely paid any attention to the small dark blue bipedal frog like Pokémon who had immediately stopped croaking as soon as it'd spotted Ash and Pikachu.

Ash decided against buying any TM's as he wanted to get a better idea for Piplup's fighting style before investing. Instead, he stocked up on Super Potions and 15 meters of reinforced rope. He searched for a Magmarizer and Electirizer that he'd promised to get for Magmar and Electabuzz but unfortunately, they didn't have the items in stock.

Ash walked out of the PokéMart and after a few minutes of walking, Pikachu tugged on his cloak getting his attention.

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash asked, turning around when Pikachu pointed to something behind him. Ash had to take a moment to see that what Pikachu was pointing at was quite a bit down from his line of sight. It was a Croagunk. Ash bent down to the Pokémon's eye level and asked, "Hello, is there anything I can help you with?" Croagunk simply puffed up its poison sacs and croaked. After waiting patiently for a response, and getting nothing, Ash ventured again, "Are you lost?" this too received the same response. Ash searched around for anyone who might appear to be the Pokémon's Trainer, but it was quite late and apart from a few stragglers there weren't many people on the street. Ash concentrated and focused his Aura on the Croagunk, and the only thing he could decipher was a feeling of accomplishment and eagerness.

Ash tried again to make sure what he was feeling from Croagunk was actually accurate. He had never before seen such an expressionless face on a Pokémon who was undoubtedly feeling quite happy. Deciding that he couldn't do anything without Gardevoir to accurately translate, Ash got up and turned to make his way back to the Pokémon Centre. As soon as Ash turned his back, Croagunk croaked loudly. Ash stopped and gazed at the Pokémon curiously. He decided to take a blind shot, "Do you want to come with me?"

Amazingly, Croagunk nodded his head and Ash wasn't quite sure, but he had a fleeting look that seemed as if the Pokémon was smiling. Ash un-shrunk a Pokéball, and feeling quite stupid for doing so, handed the Pokéball to Croagunk. Croagunk gave him a look, and Ash was quite thankful that there weren't many people around to see him act this way. Ash was reminded again how much he relied on Gardevoir, and made a mental note to thank her for being so patient with him. He threw the Pokéball at Croagunk and un-surprisingly, he made the Croagunk a part of his family without a hitch.

(Break)

"Hey Ash, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Brock asked once the duo were settled in the rented room at the Pokémon Centre. Since Ash was the last one to arrive, he was stuck with the 'privilege' of sleeping on the couch. Ash had grumbled at his friends, and promised himself that he wouldn't ever let this repeat again.

"Training mostly, other than that I don't know. I'll have a lot of trouble figuring out Croagunk's personality and battle style, that's for sure." Ash said with a grimace, but he brightened up at the prospect of training together with a new friend.

Brock muffled his laughter, careful not to wake up the sleeping Dawn. "You know, even after all this time, I can't believe some of the ways you end up catching your Pokémon."

"How long do you think it'll be before Dawn acts normal again?" Ash asked, his voice low.

Brock frowned at the younger man, "I didn't think you'd notice."

Ash gave Brock a deadpanned look and sighed, "I don't blame her, just, it can be a little of a downer. You know . . ."

"It'll be fine. May and Max also had to get used to it remember?" Brock pointed out. Brock knew that he had to be patient, he could sense that there was something troubling his friend and was simply procrastinating a bit before he got to the issue.

Ash nodded his head. When Ash didn't speak up for a long time, Brock ventured, "What's on your mind Ash?"

". . . just something Lucario said to me long time ago." Ash said quietly. Brock remained silent, recognizing that pushing Ash at this point would only be detrimental. "He said that I look a lot like Sir Aaron, moreover Sir Aaron's Aura is an exact match for mine. I read a lot of entries about Aura Guardians that Queen Ilene gave me, and one thing that jumped out at me was that such occurrences occurred only between father-son pairs."

Brock's eyes widened at the implications. He knew that Ash didn't have a father, and that it was a subject that Ash almost never brought up.

"Lucario always said that Aura Guardians always kept their promises. They were the group of people who helped the world un-selfishly and for that they were respected. I just wondered if my father was the same. But, if he was an Aura user, where is he now? And for that matter, from what Lucario has told me about his time, there should be others who inherited Aura as well. Where are they? There are so many things I don't know!" Ash who had now built up quite some momentum, growled clenching his fists.

Brock didn't know what to say. He wasn't the type of person who gave false assurances, even more so to Ash. He had once asked why it was that Lucario was adamant that Ash hide his Guardian status from the world until he'd completed his training. It was tradition. "I don't know what to tell you Ash. But for now, I'd recommend focusing on the here and now. I promise you, we'll figure it out. Maybe your mother. . ."

Ash tensed perceptibly, and immediately said in a cold voice, "No! That man has already caused her enough grief and I won't pile up on that by bringing him up to her again." He stood up and made his way to the couch, taking off his cloak and laying it across the arm he said, "I think I'll turn in for tonight. Can you please make sure I'm up before 6?"

"Ok." Brock sighed, "Good night."

"Night"

Unnoticed by the two boys the sole female occupant was wide awake with her hands held up to her mouth. It was quite a while before Dawn could fall asleep again.

(Break)

The next morning Ash had felt bad about being snarky with Brock, after all Brock had his own father issues and Ash had acted as if he was the only one who was affected. He had apologized first thing in the morning, and in true Brock fashion Brock had waved away saying that Ash didn't have anything to apologize about. Both Brock and Dawn had noticed that Dawn was unusually silent, but they put it down to nerves and didn't think much about it.

After recovering his Pokémon from Nurse Joy, who was looking at Ash in awe after she had taken care of two Legendaries for the young Trainer. But, after a while she had gone back to her usual self, storing away that bit of information in the deep reaches of her mind. Ash held a lot of respect for the Nurses in charge of taking care of Pokémon. They were extremely good at their job, and despite being avid gossips knew the value of keeping silent on some matters. It was the only reason why Ash trusted them with Latias and Lugia.

Gardevoir accompanied atop Latias to scout out a good training ground. It was an inconvenience Ash suffered in order to keep his training with Lucario secret. After all, he couldn't use the assigned training grounds around the Pokémon Centre to practice his Aura. After waiting a few minutes, Ash felt the distinct presence of Gardevoir approaching and moments later she materialized beside Ash. Ash held onto her and after settling his stomach after the teleportation, he called out Lucario.

Latias and Gardevoir gave them their space, Latias shifting into her human form, and Ash began his daily exercise with some stretches. Figuring that Croagunk might as well observe, him being a part Fighting Type Pokémon, Ash released him from his Pokéball. Croagunk lazily shifted his head taking in his surroundings before his head snapped up and he began observing Latias and Gardevoir intently.

'_A very curious new member you have undertaken Ash.'_ Lucario transmitted using telepathy. _'It seems that he has conscious control of his ability.'_

"Is that what it is? I knew that Croagunk had Anticipation as his ability, but him being able to use his ability consciously . . . Anticipation is only triggered when a Pokémon is attacked by a particularly strong move. I've got to tell Professor Oak. The implications . . ." Before Ash could fully embrace his bookworm/researcher side, he was interrupted by Lucario.

'_The time for theorizing shall come later. For now, prepare yourself.'_

Ash nodded and began preparations for his spar against Lucario. He removed his gloves and shoes, wrapped bandages around his forearms and feet to provide a cushion against Lucario's attacks, and took his stance.

"Croagunk, watch closely. You will be training with Lucario later, try and find methods to battle against him." Ash said calmly, mentally preparing himself.

With a cry Lucario launched an Aura Sphere directly at Ash. Croagunk's eyes widened at seeing Lucario attack his Trainer with such a move, but before he could move and place himself to protect Ash, Ash moved, dodging the attack and running straight towards Lucario. Lucario brought up his arms in a cross guard, damping Ash's straight punch and ducking under the follow-up right kick. Ash backed away to dodge Lucario's Force Palm, and ducked under the back-pawed punch that followed.

This combination of dodging and attacking went back and forth for a while before Lucario released a howl and a faint white glow surrounded Lucario and he practically vanished before Ash's sight. Ash grimaced slightly and braced himself for the beat down that would undoubtedly follow. And true to Ash's thoughts, Ash was barely able to defend against a fourth of the attacks that Lucario sent his way.

'_You must keep calm. Focus on sensing me through your Aura, it will allow you to keep track of my movements. You focus too much on your attack and defence.'_

Frustrated, Ash yelled as his body was surrounded by a glowing golden Aura, and with a yell a sphere of energy, similar to a Protect seemed to pulse away from his body, affording Ash some momentary breathing room. The attack had left him feeling drained, but Ash ploughed on.

Ash extended his hands in a claw like gesture, creating a glowing arm shaped like claws which Ash extended towards the mid-air Lucario. He closed his fist and the extended 'arm' closed around Lucario's stomach and with a jubilant yell, Ash pulled back his arm propelling Lucario straight towards him. Unfortunately, Lucario was much too experienced to be caught off guard for long and Ash paled at the glowing blue ball of energy held within Lucario's hands. Ash hastily focused on creating the strongest shield he could manage to defend against Lucario's devastating Focus Blast.

The impact was indeed massive, and while Ash's shield hadn't cracked, Ash was brought to his knees breathing harshly.

'_You reacted well, catch your breath we will begin again shortly'_

(Break)

"Dawn is there something bothering you?" Brock asked after Dawn spaced out again halfway through eating lunch. At first Brock had thought that Dawn was simply thinking up new ways to use the moves Piplup knew, but after some more observation Brock deduced that Dawn had something on her mind that was distracting her.

"Huh? No, not really." Dawn appeared to be startled at Brock's question.

"If you're nervous about tomorrow's contest, I can tell you that it's a feeling that all the participants will share with you. You simply have to get past it and do your best." Brock encouraged.

"Hey Brock, I looked up Ash's Trainer Profile this morning. He has some amazing Pokémon with him. Why doesn't he just use them for the Gym Battles? I'm sure that he would be done much faster." Dawn skilfully dodged the subject her mind was wondering about and asked Brock something that she had been unable to guess at.

"Well, I could tell you." Brock started and Dawn listened intently, " But, Ash does a much better job at explaining. Why don't you just ask him, he'll be back by this evening."

Dawn nodded. "Hey, Piplup is still getting dizzy while spinning. Do you have any idea how to stop that from happening?"

Brock nodded as he shifted his baby Bonsly in his arms, "It's mostly a matter of getting used to it, but I have a few ideas that I think will work. First . . ."

(Break)

Ash followed his own thought out method for training his Pokémon. He made it into a game at first, thinking up games to play that would help his Pokémon focus on improving any characteristic that Ash found needed work on. After that, a series of mock-battles and then training was done for the day. Ash was careful to never exhaust his Pokémon completely, but was also careful to ensure that they weren't slacking. Most of his Pokémon didn't understand what Ash was doing, but they followed his commands nevertheless.

Ash had observed Piplup fight in battles and had already though up things that the little penguin needed to work on. Namely speed and stamina. His attacks were accurate, but as Ash had observed he had trouble following a fast opponent. Satisfied with his observations, Ash turned towards Lucario and Croagunk. "Alright, Lucario and Croagunk, battle against each other, but if I say stop, you stop immediately." Ash pointed the look mainly at Croagunk who lazily raised his arms in acknowledgement.

Ash kept a focused eye on Croagunk and made many observations. Croagunk preffered dodging rather than direct confrontation, and used hit and run tactics. But, knowing only two moves limited his battling style. Faint Attack and Poison Jab were good moves, but Lucario defence was proving to be insurmountable, and he was altogether immune to Poison Jab. After had Croagunk begun panting in exhaustion, Ash called off the spar and called out all of his Pokémon.

Piplup worked with Pikachu to increase his speed of attacks and precision, Metang and Shelgon worked on improving on their defences, Lucario began instructing Croagunk in learning Brick Break, Lugia Latias and Gardevoir were meditating, and Pupitar was sleeping. Ash joined the female Psychics in meditation and after a few hours as lunch approached, Ash called off the training and the group spent the rest of the day either relaxing or playing some games that Ash made up.

It was an exhausted Ash that found his way back to the Pokémon centre. After meeting up with a perky Dawn who was excited by the moves that she had come up with the help of Brock, and Brock who appeared to be exhausted, the group separated for refreshments before meeting up for dinner. It was then that Dawn asked the question that she had put forth for Ash.

Ash contemplated the best way to answer the question without sounding arrogant, but at the same time he was loathe to dismiss the hard work he had put in raising his Pokémon and his Pokémon in getting stronger. "Let me answer your question with one of my own. What do you know about Gym Leaders?"

Dawn appeared to be totally confused about Ash's seemingly random question. But at Ash's encouraging expression answered tentatively, "Well, anyone can apply to become a Gym Leader, but there is only one Gym per City, not more. You need to get 8 Badges to get into the Sinnoh League."

"And?"

Dawn wracked her brains for the scant information that she had about Gym Leaders. She remembered memorizing the information for the Trainer's Exam, but as she never intended to participate in the Sinnoh League she hadn't paid much attention. She looked at Ash, his expectant expression, and couldn't help but feeling a little bad for disappointing him with her less than adequate information about such a basic matter. She hung her head down.

Ash seemed to pick up on it and said gently, "Well, that's right. But, my point lies with the League rules for the Battle Type. I didn't realize it until I was six months into my Journey through Kanto, and I had the advantage of travelling together with two Gym Leaders."

Dawn looked up at him, a little curious where he was going with this.

"You see, Gym Leaders decide the Battle Type, 3-on-3, of a full 6-on-6 based on the number of Badges that you have acquired in that Region. Your first four Gym battles will generally be a 3-on-3 battle and after that you have to overcome the remaining Gyms with a full team, a 6-on-6 battle. There was something that bothered me after my first full battle, and I asked Brock about it. He was reluctant to tell me, but I insisted. I have to say that it kind of opened my eyes up a bit." Ash said, sending a look at the smiling Brock.

"You see every Gym Leader is equipped to fight a full battle, as they can never know when they will be challenged by a Trainer with more than 4 Badges. It's their decision, of the Pokémon they use and they decide based on each individual Trainer's experience and his Pokédex information. It put a lot of things in perspective for me, being a Pokémon Trainer, you have to ensure that the Pokémon that you and your Pokémon face are not completely outclassed. The Gym Leaders are adept at evaluating a Pokémon's strength. You can understand why they don't advertise this fact." Ash explained patiently.

"But, what does this have to do with you not using your Pokémon from other regions?" Dawn asked after taking a while to process everything that Ash had revealed to her. It made sense, new Trainers took repeated tries to win Badges and if they were revealed to the fact that they were struggling against a Pokémon that wasn't even the best the Gym Leader had, no one would ever reach the qualification for the League.

"It's a personal choice, something that I came up with when Brock told me all of this. I could use my other earlier Pokémon, but then I wouldn't be able to enjoy the Battles and frankly, I enjoy a good battle even if I have to struggle to get my win." Ash said, his voice clearly reflecting his passion. Dawn had a look of admiration on her face.

"Though," Ash added "I will use my strongest Pokémon if I'm ever lucky enough to battle against an Elite Four or even a Champion. It would show me how I and my Pokémon stack up against them."

"On that note, Ash I remember you saying something about a new strategy you wanted to try for the Sinnoh Region. Care to elaborate?" Brock spoke up.

"Of Course. Dawn, do you have any particular place that you want to visit on your journey?" Ash asked. Dawn thought for a moment, but then shook her head, "I'm just aiming to get 5 Ribbons so that I can participate in the Grand Festival."

"Ok. Here's the deal, I asked Gary to do some research on the Sinnoh Gym Leaders, particularly the top Gyms in this region. There are 8, the closest one being the Oreburgh City Gym. What I intend to do is this, I'm going to get 4 Gym Badges before I challenge the top 8, that way my Pokémon can get the hang of Battling in full 6-on-6 battles for the Sinnoh League." Ash revealed his grand idea to his friends. It was a sound strategy, even if Ash said so himself.

(Break)

Dawn's first entry into a contest didn't earn her a ribbon, and to top it, she'd made it to the finals and then lost to her new friend/rival Zoey. Dawn took the loss particularly hard, and seemed withdrawn for the rest of the day. Ash wanted to tell her that she was overreacting, and that failure was as much a part of being a Trainer as winning. But, he knew that anything he said to her would just end up aggravating her and making her think of him as a pompous ass. Thus, it was for that reason that it was Brock who approached Dawn.

"Dawn" Brock spoke softly, getting her attention. Brock made out her quick swipe at her eyes and knew that Ash was right in suggesting that Brock needed to talk to her. Sometimes Brock couldn't help but wonder just how much Ash knew about the people and Pokémon that he encountered.

"I'll be right in Brock, you go ahead." Dawn spoke softly, looking up at the stars that were dispersed across the night sky.

"Dawn, there's something I would like to tell you." Brock spoke firmly, continuing just as Dawn appeared to be on the verge of protesting. "You mustn't feel so down at one failure Dawn. You and your Pokémon did your best; moreover you even made it to the finals on your first try."

"Thank you Brock, but I think . . ." Dawn began angrily, only to be interrupted by an unfazed Brock.

"You know, what you're doing right now is not much different from what Ash did when he battled against me for his first Gym Badge. But, there's one difference between you. Ash never let himself be down like this, he distracted himself with Training and talking to his Pokémon. He kept his goal clear in his mind. The bond between a Pokémon and it's Trainer is something that cannot be measured or even understood. I'm sure Piplup and Buneary feel the same as you do, and you cannot become a good Trainer if you give up on them after they put forth such effort for you." Brock voice which had started out firm was patient and understanding by the time he'd finished.

Dawn, still turned away from Brock, had her eyes wide. She couldn't believe how she had completely ignored her Pokémon in the face of her own defeat. Silently, she took out her Pokéballs and released Piplup and Buneary. It hurt her to look at them feeling down as well, and she patted their heads affectionately.

"I'm sorry you guys, I promise that I'll never act this way towards you ever again. I promise that we'll work harder and win the next contest for sure!" Dawn said, her eyes shining bright with unshed tears.

Brock nodded approvingly, not that Dawn could see him doing that. "That's more like it. Now, Ash told me that there's going to be another Contest held in Alamos Town four days from now. There's a Gym there too. You should get some rest, we'll be leaving early tomorrow morning." Saying his piece, Brock turned away and made his way back to their room.

"Brock, thank you, I needed that." Dawn's softly whispered voice reached Brock's ears and he smiled.

Unnoticed by the two of them, Ash who was leaning against the wall beside the window, smiled as well. Dawn would be fine, and he and Brock wouldn't have to deal with a depressed travelling companion and friend while on the road.

(Chapter End)

A/N :- Thank you for all the reviews. Many people pointed out that the story was too narrative in nature. I tried to achieve a balance between character dialogue and summarization with this chapter. Please tell me if it turned out all right. On another note, Cynthia is a confirmed pairing for Ash, keep voting for the second girl.

Keep reading for the group's adventures in Alamos Town, and the confrontation of Legendaries.

Cheers!


	4. Chapter 4 - Arrival at Alamos Town

**Chapter 3 – Arrival at Alamos Town**

On Ash's recommendation or outright demand, depending on the person who you asked, Dawn had caught herself a Starly. Dawn had argued that she wouldn't ever feel comfortable flying through the air on a Pokémon without anything tangible to support one's body was something that she would never do, Ash had countered that having a Flying Pokémon who could fly you anywhere you pleased was quite an advantage to have. Brock had agreed and Dawn had folded. True, the Pokémon Police put some restrictions on places Trainers could fly, there were vast areas of land that weren't under their jurisdiction.

It had been two days since the group had left Jubilife City, and Ash was contemplating on which Pokémon to capture to challenge the Gym in Alamos Town for his third Pokémon. So far he hadn't encountered any Pokémon that he thought would go well, and just as the group was called by Brock for lunch, a Pokémon landed on top of his head.

"Budew!" it announced happily, content at sitting on top of Ash's head. Ash for his part, calmed himself down and after performing a cursory check with his Aura relaxed when he gleaned that this Pokémon had no malicious or evil intent. Carefully, so as not to startle the baby Bud Pokémon, Ash brought up his hands and brought the Budew in front of his face. Gardevoir, who was watching her Trainer amusedly, suddenly looked towards the woods, and promptly turned herself invisible.

"Hello. You mustn't surprise people like that. They can get angry at you, you don't want that do you?"

Budew got a wrinkling look on her face and her eyes watered at being scolded by Ash. Dawn was quick to come to the defence, and practically snatched the baby Pokémon from Ash's hands.

"How dare you! Scolding such a cute and beautiful Pokémon, apologize to it at once!" Dawn said angrily, stroking the baby Pokémon gently, blissfully unaware of the frown on Budew's face while Ash gave Dawn an incredulous look. Brock was the only one to notice the change in Budew's countenance.

"Hey Dawn, I don't think Budew likes you holding her too much." Brock warned.

"Huh?" Dawn blinked and as she bent her head down to look if what Brock actually said was true, her face was assaulted by a purple powder. It wasn't long before Dawn crumpled to the ground, asleep.

"Budew! That is not the proper way to greet people, you must apologize at once!" came the voice from the woods surrounding them, and as a figure emerged Ash was the first one to recognize him.

"Nando! Good to see you again." Ash greeted, and then turning towards Brock, introduced him as well. Nando was invited to have lunch with the group where Dawn had made a point to sit as far away from the mischievous Budew as possible. Surprisingly, Budew had gained a strange fascination for Ash.

"Nando, are you heading for Alamos Town too?" Dawn asked, eager to know whether she would be facing Nando as an opponent in her upcoming Contest.

"No, I was simply roaming around. Though, I must say that you should visit the Space-Time Tower while you're in Alamos Town. It's said to be the biggest musical instrument in the world." Nando said his voice as always polite and pleasant.

"That's sounds interesting." Ash commented. He wondered why he hadn't heard any mention of it in the Travel Guide. Such a unique monument was bound to attract tourists, yet he hadn't heard anything at all related to the Town. It was strange to say the least. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes surrounding the group and all of them got ready, Dawn's Piplup taking a prideful stance before her.

Ash was surprised by what came out. It was a Cherubi, and even more surprising was the fact that it was alone. Ash knew that Cherubi were Pokémon that were said to be extremely happy, and almost exclusively travelled in groups. Suddenly, Ash decided that if Cherubi had no problems and expressed an intrest in Pokémon Battles, he would capture it. But, before that . . .

"I call dibs." Ash said with a smile.

Dawn immediately protested, "Hey! I want to catch that Pokémon too."

"Her." Ash corrected, "And you'll just have to be faster next time. Besides, I need my third Pokémon if I want to challenge the Gym."

Dawn pouted and huffed but gave in. To be honest, she was indeed looking forward to Ash battling with his new Pokémon in a proper Gym Battle. She intended to get out as much of it as she could. "Okay, but I call dibs next time!"

Ash sighed, "It doesn't work that way." He muttered under his breath, as he faced the Cherubi. He called out his Croagunk to battle. But, as soon as Croagunk took an intimidating stance before his opponent, Cherubi seemed to blanch and hurried over to hide behind Dawn's legs. Ash raised an eyebrow at her action's, but recalled Croagunk. It was obvious to him that Cherubi didn't wish to battle. Dawn directed a smug look in his direction as she picked up Cherubi and hugged her.

"Looks like Croagunk scared her." Ash said, and walked slowly towards Dawn. Cherubi shrunk away from him, but Ash slowly petted her and Cherubi brightened immediately and smiled widely. "Sorry about that, Cherubi."

Eventually, Nando left the group, saying that he was making his way to Oreburgh City to challenge the Gym there. Ash was intrigued by Nando, and couldn't help but feeling that he was someone that he would get along well with. Though there was something about him that Ash couldn't figure out. He had a power, Ash was sure, but he couldn't identify what it was. Psychics were easy enough to identify, but the feeling he got from Nando was similar to what he had felt from the Frontier Brain Annabel. But, Ash didn't think too much into it, everyone had their secrets and Ash knew when not to pry.

While Ash was lost in his thoughts, Dawn had captured the Cherubi, and Brock had put away the tableware and food.

Ash didn't go out of his way to find Pokémon, preferring to stay on the road and reach Alamos Town by early tomorrow morning. Latias and Lugia had also returned from their flying excursion and the group settled in for the night.

(Break)

The peaceful night was disturbed by a faint yellow light, and a lot of groaning. Ash blearily opened his eyes, fighting the urge to go back to sleep with everything he had, Pikachu had been told explicitly not to wake him up with his Thunderbolt if it wasn't an emergency.

'_I can sense that someone's suffering Ash'_

Ash's eyes snapped open at Gardevoir's mental voice and he immediately grabbed his cloak and made his way over to Brock. Shaking him slightly, Brock looked up at Ash and on noticing his expression he got up as well.

"Gardevoir thinks that there might be some trouble. Stay alert and wake up Dawn, I'm going to see what it is." Ash said as he released Lucario, who immediately looked towards Ash curiously. "Lucario, stay here in case anything happens. Come on Pikachu."

Pikachu hopped up on Ash's shoulder and Ash grabbed Gardevoir's arms. She teleported Ash in the general area from where she had sensed the distress and after Ash caught his breath after the teleportation; he closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling his surroundings using Aura. Immediately, he got feelings of revulsion, fear, and somewhere within the jumble was helplessness. Ash concentrated on that and made his way towards it.

What he saw filled him with sadness. It was an Eevee borough, and the whole camp seemed to be circled around two tiny figures. Ash could make out broken egg shells, and had a pretty clear idea of what was going around here. It wasn't uncommon in the wild, but wild Pokémon's reaction to an alternate coloured version of their species was varied, even among the members of the same species. He had seen an alternate coloured Onix leading a group of Onix, and as was the case with most of his family members Pokémon who shunned them and sometimes outright attacked them for their differences. It seemed, unfortunately, that it was the latter case taking place here.

Ash didn't waste any time, and made his way into the clearing. It was something that no same Trainer would do, but then again Ash had an ace up his sleeve. Ash focused on his Aura and concentrated, thin wisps of Aura rose up from his body, and a small wind seemed to ruffle around him. All the Pokémon in the clearing paused in whatever they were doing, and almost as one turned to look towards him. Some gazed with confusion, some with anger, some even with fascination, but Ash noticed none of them. His gaze was solely focused on the two small forms that were curled up unto themselves, providing as small a target as they could manage.

As Ash bent down to pick up the prone and almost unconscious forms, many of the Eevee family that had been given pause due to the feeling that Ash projected, seemed to snap out of their daze and launched multiple Shadow Balls at the teen. Ash didn't pay them any mind, absolutely sure that he wasn't in any danger. True to Ash's belief, Pikachu who had jumped down from Ash's shoulder's, immediately released a threatening growl and a yellow box made up of hexagonal pieces seemed to form around the little golden mouse and his Trainer. Pikachu's Light Screen stopped the Shadow Ball's cold and in order to make it clear that the mouse was not one to be messed with, Pikachu sparked his cheeks and gathered electricity around his body. The Eevee surrounding the group cast wary glances and after a moment of indecision, fled.

Ash didn't pay the retreating pack any mind, instead he focused his attention to his temporary charges. Both of them were new borns, as he had suspected and Ash couldn't in good conscience let them roam free in this forest. Gardevoir re-appeared before him, and grabbing her Trainer, she Teleported them back to their camp. Dawn was looking at the shadows wearily, Piplup clutched in her arms. Brock, similarly was quietly observing his surroundings, more focused than Dawn was. He relaxed as he saw Ash appear in the clearing. Ash motioned for Brock to come closer, and shifted his arms slightly, revealing the careful bundle in his arms. Brock's instincts took him over, and he immediately moved forward to examine the two Pokémon.

"Ash, what happened?" Dawn asked as she too caught sight of the two Shiny Eevee under Brock's ministrations. Ash spared her a glance, and motioned that he would answer later. Catching the serious look within his eyes, she held her tongue.

"Do you have everything you need?" Ash asked Brock intently.

"Yes. It looks like you got to them in time, they're quite young." Brock said, with a questioning glance at Ash. Ash sighed catching the look.

"They had just been born. Their pack didn't like their unique colouration and attacked them. I was just in time to save them, thanks to Gardevoir." Ash said, looking at Gardevoir with an admiring gaze. Gardevoir eye smiled and nodded her head demurely. Dawn looked horrified.

"So what are you going to do? About them I mean." Brock asked looking at his two temporary patients.

"I'm going to raise them, make sure they understand that what their pack did was wrong. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like for them, to have your family attack you, just because you're a little different." Ash said firmly, but Brock could detect a hint of bitterness within Ash's voice. Brock sighed, family issues were a touchy subject for Ash, made more complicated by his firm belief of treating his Pokémon as a part of his family.

"Pokémon do that?" Dawn asked Brock quietly. It seemed that there were facts about Pokémon that weren't even mentioned in the Pokémon Trainer's handbook.

"Some packs do. Some don't. It's one of the reasons that 'Shiny' Pokémon are so rare. They are either forced to fight young, or they are treated like royalty, there might even be some packs that don't treat them any differently. It's one of the reasons that people think that 'Shiny' Pokémon are more powerful than others of the same species. I can assure you that this line of thinking is completely false." Ash answered for Brock, his tone heated. Gardevoir laid a calming hand on her Trainer's arm. Ash released a weary sigh.

Dawn blushed in embarrassment. She had thought the same thing about Ash's Pokémon.

(Break)

The two Eevee Ash had caught were completely recovered by the next morning, and Ash was glad to see that they didn't remember much of what had happened last night. It would be better if they just thought of it as a long forgotten memory. He had captured the two playful Pokémon, and they had agreed, not willing to be separated from the kind human that had fed, bathed, brushed and played with them. They could ask for nothing more.

Ash had let the two out of their Pokéballs for the rest of the trip to the Alamos Town, both to get them used to their new bodies and to get them used to him. It was something he did with all of his newly caught Pokémon. Piplup and Croagunk were friendly with the two Pokémon but were aggravated by the sheer cheerfulness and excitement the two possessed. Ash had to step in a few times to break things up. Unknown by Ash, Gardevoir had been talking to the two girls mentally, informing them of the world and more importantly their Trainer. It was something that she confessed was a subject that she could talk about for hours, uninterrupted.

Ash was confused by the sudden looks of awe and respect that his new Pokémon gave him at various times during the day, but he decided that it might be a good sign and just smiled at them.

Unfortunately, as they reached the point where the map indicated was the entry to Alamos Town the group discovered that there was no visible route to Alamos Town that was visible. While Dawn and Brock fretted over the map, trying to figure out where to go next to get to the connecting bridge that could be seen in the distance, Ash was distracted by the view. It was an amazing sight, the whole town was made up on an earth protrusion and Ash could make out a pair of tall buildings. Ash wondered whether they were the Space-Time Towers that Nando had mentioned.

Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was always a rush for him to use his Aura to sense his surroundings. Too much of a rush, which was why he still had to concentrate knowingly. Lucario said that he always experienced the world around him as that. Ash couldn't imagine himself feeling like that all the time. A shout from somewhere above distracted Ash and he looked up, squinting against the sun that was in his eyes. Eventually, the person who had shouted out came into view and was revealed to be in a hot-air balloon.

"Hello! Are you going to Alamos Town?" she called out.

Ash interrupted abruptly before Brock could start on flirting with the beautiful woman, "Yes. Do you know the way?"

"Lucky for you, I'm going back there too. Come one I'll give you a lift. My name's Alice."

"Thank you."

(Break)

"So, a Darkrai huh?" Ash asked absently his mind whirling for any bit of information that Professor Oak might have given him when he was young. Nothing came to mind. Ash hadn't wasted much time in asking Alice about the inconsistency of the town's popular attractions with the facts given out in the Travel Guide. Alice had seemed to be a little down at the question but had answered truthfully nevertheless.

"Yes, a Darkrai has been living in the Town for a few decades and its presence causes horrible nightmares to anyone near it. Many have tried to find the Pokémon, but it has evaded capture every time. It's given Alamos Town a disreputable image." Alice said shaking her head sadly.

Dawn looked intrigued, and glanced at Ash eager to know what he thought about that. Brock as still batting his eyes at Alice.

"Have you asked help from the Elite Four of Sinnoh?" Ash asked. He didn't expect that they would help though, they usually kept to themselves and only cut in if there was an immediate danger to a large populous.

"No. The Baron of Alamos Town said that he would take care of the problem himself. Besides, it has become natural for us to live here despite Darkrai's presence." Alice said as she adjusted some lines and signalled for her Pokémon, a Chimchar, to adjust the height of the balloon.

Ash looked at her surprised, "How do you cope with the regular nightmares? I don't imagine them to be pleasant."

"Oh, we have a special pendant made for that. It's made from the Pokémon Cresselia's feathers. I'll show you where you can buy them." Alice answered.

"Cresselia?" Dawn asked, "Is that another Pokémon?"

"Yes, It's said to be the opposite of Darkrai. I still remember my Grandmother telling me tales about that Pokémon." Alice said, and then proceeded to point out various things that were a must see in her hometown.

Ash and Brock shared a look and Brock sighed as he saw the determined expression on Ash's face. Sometimes, he wished that his friend didn't have such a determined personality.

(Break)

The two Eevee were too young to battle, and that left Ash with picking out a Pokémon that he already had for the third spot. Luckily, his Growlithe was the perfect choice for that. Still inexperienced, he would be the perfect partner for Ash. So, he had asked Alice to lead them to the Pokémon Centre in Alamos Town. The Centre was a little different from standard centres in Cities, it was high, way higher than any other Pokémon Centre that Ash had seen before. Decorated in paintings and soft coloured drapes, the Centre gave off the feeling of a King's court. Though, the Nurse Joy manning the centre was still the same. There were some things that didn't change a bit.

After making the necessary transfer, Ash asked for directions to the Gym. It was nearing evening, and Ash wanted to get the Gym battle done today, that way even if he lost, he would have a chance tomorrow. Dawn had gone off with Alice to browse more at the local shopping locations. Retrieving Brock from the front desk of the Pokémon Centre the duo made their way to the Gym, sending off a message on the PokéNav that Ash had given to his companions to Dawn.

The Gym of Alamos Town apparently also doubled as the residence of the Baron of the town. It wasn't surprising really, many of the Gym Leader's did in fact reside at their Gym's. The Gym Leader, a man named Alberto was quite an imposing figure. Dressed in a stylish uniform, not unlike a noble, he gave a pleasant smile as Ash, Brock and Dawn entered the Gym. Dawn had invited Alice along, but curiously, she had hastily made her excuses and went her own way.

Ash placed his Pokédex in the slot meant for it near the Challenger's side of the battlefield. His name, birth place and the number of badges that he had collected in Sinnoh were displayed to Alberto, who glanced at the information and then nodded, satisfied.

"I see that you haven't got a single Badge. Is this your first Gym Battle?" Alberto asked confidently.

"First in Sinnoh, I've battled in Gym matches before." Ash answered politely, unfazed by the imposing man's words.

"Very well. Let us begin. Go! Chatot." Alberto said, releasing his Pokémon first, as per the rules.

"This will be a standard 3-on-3 battle. The challenger will be allowed one substitution, the Gym Leader may not substitute his Pokémon." The referee, who was curiously dressed up as a formal butler voiced the Gym's rules.

Ash brought out his Pokédex, just to capture the data of the Sinnoh Pokémon. He knew that it was a Normal/Flying Type Pokémon, and he had just the Pokémon for it.

"Piplup! I choose you!" Ash called on his Water Pokémon. Out of the younger Pokémon that he had, Piplup was the only one who had ranged moves.

"There will be no time limit! The battle ends when one Pokémon is no longer able to continue, begin!"

"Piplup, start things off with Bubblebeam!" Ash commanded, and almost immediately, came Alberto order, "Chatot, dodge and then use Screech!"

A plethora of bubbles left Piplup's beak but Chatot's small frame and impressive speed aided it in dodging all of the bubbles that came its way. After that had gone on for a while and Piplup had stopped his attack to get a breath, Chatot hung in place and released a horrible screeching sound from its mouth. Almost visible circles of light rippled through the air, striking Piplup. Ash encouraged Piplup to stand his ground, and Piplup straightened a bit. His pride not letting him bow down to aching ears, but the damage was done. As Chatot closed its mouth, Ash quickly ordered Piplup to use Bubblebeam again.

"This won't work on Chatot, young Ash. He is too fast to be hit by such a paltry attack. Now! Chatot, use Wing Attack!"

Ash kept his face carefully neutral, but a satisfied feeling spread through him. He had been waiting for Chatot to get in close. "Piplup, stand your ground."

Piplup didn't look as if he was eager to do as Ash said, and almost moved to dodge the approaching attack. Just as he prepared to do so though, Ash ordered. "Piplup, Aqua Ring! Send it flying."

"What?!" Alberto shouted. Starter Piplup's didn't know Aqua Ring! He had made a grave miscalculation. "Chatot, disengage! Move back and use Hyper Voice!"

"Too late." Ash whispered, letting a sly smile cross his face.

Piplup gained a triumphant determined expression on his face, silently glad that his Trainer was not one to lose composure under pressure, and somehow, he felt a great deal of pride in knowing that he was his Trainer. He would do the best for him in all his battles. Piplup let loose a huge shout as his body was enveloped by a ring of water and with an effort, he directed the water outwards and it collided with the approaching Chatot, who was caught off guard by its Trainer's hastily given order. As a result, it was slammed into by the water and released a pained cry as its course was forcibly altered. But, Ash wasn't done yet.

"Piplup, press on! Use Bubblebeam, full power!" Ash ordered, his voice filled with passion. Piplup picked up on it, and opened his beak wide, intent on pouring everything he had into his next attack. But, surprisingly, he felt something other than what he had been going for, and liking the feeling he went with it. Boiling hot water, evident from the steam surrounding it, erupted from the blue energy in front of Piplup's mouth. Piplup was ecstatic by the powerful new move he could perform and did his best to direct that attack towards the dazed for of Chatot. It could have been aimed better, but the move made contact with the airborne Pokémon. Chatot released a cry of pain as it's body, unable to take the heat, came crashing down on the ground.

"Good job Piplup! You learned how to use Scald!" Ash exclaimed, seemingly ignoring the referee's declaration of the battle in his favour. Piplup puffed up his chest proudly and gave a challenging look to the opposite Trainer. Ash laughed inwardly, but made a mental note to make sure that Piplup didn't gain a big head. Alberto looked at the Pokémon-Trainer pair with a calculating look in his eye.

"I must say, you have done a good job raising that Pokémon. It was a good strategy, hiding your move until it was to your advantage, not many Trainers can make use of that. But, I digress. Let's continue, shall we?" Alberto said, as he palmed a Pokéball and called out his next choice.

"It's your turn, Purugly!" Alberto said and out came a plump cat Pokémon. Ash evaluated the Pokémon standing in front of him with a practiced eye. He wasn't intimately familiar with the species but looking at it Ash could see its confidence and an eager thirst for battle. This wasn't an opponent to underestimate. He glanced over to his Piplup, who while standing proud could do with a little break to gather himself. But, doing that would disrupt his momentum that he'd built up against the Chatot. After a few moments of deliberation, Ash decided that no matter how small an advantage he might gain, he would always choose the welfare of his Pokémon above all else.

"Piplup, return. Take a little break, it's Croagunk's turn now." Ash said firmly and directed a resolute look towards Piplup for that matter. Piplup had a betrayed look on his face and Ash smiled understandingly. "You did great out there, and I will be sending you out again. I just want you to rest up a bit." Piplup thought about it for a moment, and decided that a break sounded like a great idea. Piplup gave one more searching look towards Ash, and Ash nodded, "I promise."

Croagunk came out of his Pokéball, and Alberto raised an eyebrow at the unusual Pokémon. He had seen that Ash had been a Trainer in Sinnoh for a little under a week, he wondered where he'd met the little Poison Pokémon. It stirred him up a little.

"I hope you don't think that a Type-Advantage will work against a Gym Leader." Alberto challenged.

"I know that, but you can never know can you?" Ash said smiling calmly.

"Very well, let me prove you wrong. You have the first move this time." Alberto said and Purugly scratched the ground in anticipation, directing a challenging look towards Croagunk. Croagunk gave a flat look towards the overgrown cat, and continued croaking, looking as if he was merely bored with the proceedings. Ash knew that with his Croagunk not knowing any ranged moves at all, it would put him at a disadvantage, but he hoped to make it up by Croagunk's surprising strength. He would see how the battle played out.

"Croagunk, get in close and use Tackle." Ash commanded. Croagunk gave a slight look towards Ash and after receiving a confirming nod, shot off towards the Purugly. Alberto smirked and ordered for a Tackle as well. Ash didn't change the order, intending to see how Croagunk matched up against the Purugly's strength. It was as he had expected. Purugly was an evolved Pokémon and in care of a Gym Leader to boot, Croagunk was able to match its strength for a while but was sent sprawling backwards as the Purugly snarled viciously and overcame Croagunk's strength. Croagunk tumbled back, but was quick to get up on it's feet, fixing the Purugly with a look. Ash smiled.

Dawn seemed to notice the slight smile on Ash's face and didn't understand the reason for it. As was becoming quite custom, she queried after Brock for answers.

"Look closely at Croagunk. He's determined now and Ash knows this, he will order attacks and employ strategies that suit the mood his Croagunk is in."

"The mood of the Pokémon?" Dawn asked, feeling quite confused as to how that was related to a Pokémon Battle. Trainers called out attacks to counter the other Trainer's moves in a Gym Battle right? Just how much didn't she know?

"I'm not surprised you don't know about it. Even after travelling for years I've only met a handful of people who are able to employ it in Battle. Ash just takes that to another level." Brock soothed her growing frustration, and then shrugging said, "Though it makes for quite a dramatic battle."

"Is it because of Ash being-" Dawn started, only to be interrupted harshly by Brock.

"No. It was something that he has employed ever since he became a Trainer."

Dawn clamped up, and focused her concentration on the battle, intent to figure out if she could use the same style as well. If it was rare, it had to be good. She hoped.

"Hang in there Croagunk! Look for an opening and counter with Poison Jab!" Ash ordered as his Croagunk swerved his body to dodge the relentless barrage of Fury Swipes that Purugly had unleashed. The cat grew increasingly frustrated at not being able to hit the small Pokémon, but enthused happily as it caught Croagunk with a solid hit sending the poison Pokémon reeling in pain.

Alberto compounded on this advantage and was quick to order, "Purugly, finish this off! Hyper Beam!"

Ash didn't flinch at the command and quite calmly ordered, "Croagunk, fight through the pain. Use Feint Attack to interrupt the Hyper Beam."

Alberto didn't appear to be worried however and simply waited for his Pokémon to unleash the devastating attack. But, much to his disbelief he had underestimated Croagunk's sheer speed with the attack. Croagunk acknowledged Ash's command and literally disappeared from Purugly's view, causing it to be distracted, further delaying the charging attack. It spotted Croagunk approaching from its right and shifted so that the small Pokémon would take the full brunt of the attack. But, much to it's annoyance, Croagunk disappeared again and the cat spotted it on its left. Before it could move however, Croagunk had delivered a solid hit to its face, causing the charging attack to be cancelled and for it to lose its footing.

Croagunk was very exhausted after using that move, its body not able to handle the rigorous toll it took to pull of that move and Ash knew that.

"Croagunk, close in and finish this off with Brick Break." Ash ordered his Pokémon. Hopefully it would be enough to end this match. It was.

Alberto didn't say anything as he returned his defeated Purugly, but he hesitated with his next choice but apparently reaching a decision, he called out his Licklicky.

"You have done well to defeat two of my Pokémon, but unfortunately for you I'm ending this now! Licklicky has been my partner for years; he won't be going down easily." Alberto said with a confident sneer on his face. Brock frowned at the breach in protocol for Gym Leaders, but Ash took it in stride and even appeared to be eager for the next match. Brock wondered if he was planning to use the same team that he had planned to go through this gym with.

The enormous Pokémon, compared to Croagunk swiped his tongue challengingly at Croagunk and Croagunk appeared eager to battle the pink Pokémon, never mind he was breathing rather harshly. Ash saw this and decided that he could use Alberto's selfish decision for his own gain.

"Piplup! It's your turn again. Be careful, this will be a tough battle." Ash said as he silently returned Croagunk. Piplup merely puffed out it's chest in pride.

(Break)

"Croagunk, Return." Ash said as he returned the defeated frog. Piplup had put up a good fight, but wasn't powerful or experienced enough to pull off a win after his previous battle. Croagunk had taken a lesser amount of damage in his battle, but was utterly exhausted dodging attacks and using his high movement speed with Faint Attack. On the other hand, it wasn't as if both hadn't managed to score a few hits of their own. Licklicky was not exhausted but was definitely breathing harder. Alberto had a superior look on his face that Ash tolerated, but admitted to himself that he didn't like the maniacal gleam that had entered the Gym Leader's eyes. Ash smiled as he palmed Growlithe's Pokéball. He was confident of his victory.

"Finish this up, Growlithe." Ash said as he tossed the Pokéball. But, to his utter horror it wasn't the orange striped fur that greeted him, but it was a silky and fluffy brown. It shocked Ash so much that he almost missed the triumphant command given by Alberto. Fear encroached Ash, and he almost stopped breathing. One of the baby Eevee was what had emerged from the Pokéball.

"Wait! I forfeit! Stop this!" Ash cried our frantically as he saw the massive spinning form of Licklicky rapidly approached the cowering form of Eevee.

Brock fumbled frantically in his seat, his hands going towards his Pokéballs, but it was too late. The Gym Leader didn't call off his Pokémon. Brock clenched his teeth in anger, but then a much different expression came onto his face as he realized that Ash must have figured it out too. And sure enough, he caught sight of the glowing gold eyes of his best friend. Brock winced.

Ash dashed onto the field and with a speed that trumped the Licklicky's speed, reached in front of his Pokémon, picked up her trembling form and positioned his body such that he wouldn't be hurt too much. Lucario's training paid off and Ash was only mildly bruised as he was thrown a few feet away, his Eevee nestled carefully in his arms. Alberto seemed to have come to his senses and hastily recalled his Pokémon. Pikachu had taken up a stance between the Gym Leader and his Trainer, his eyes startlingly similar to Ash's and his cheeks sparking dangerously.

Alberto began shouting his apologies and was about to call for medical aid just as Ash stood up, no worse for wear and glared at the Gym Leader in cold fury. "What do you think you're playing at?"

(Break)

It took Ash a while to calm down, though the utter fury with which Brock had berated the Gym Leader had gone a long way in making Ash feel as if the errant Gym Leader had paid for his mistake. Ash was just glad that his Gardevoir had refrained from taking matters into her own hands; she was scary when she felt her close one's threatened, especially young ones. Ash figured it had something to do with her past treatment. Ash had gotten the story out of Gardevoir on the way to the Pokémon Centre. Eevee in all her childish cluelessness had begged her friend, the other Eevee, to help her switch Pokéballs with Growlithe. Ash had forgiven them for their error, but not without a stern lecture to his two new Pokémon about the dangers of doing things without permission. Needless to say the Eevee duo had been properly cowed and it had left Ash feeling emotionally drained.

Brock had returned a while later and had informed Ash that he had taken the liberty to report the Gym Leader's behaviour and that it would be going into his warnings by the PLA. Ash couldn't help but feel that Alberto deserved everything that he would be dished out by the League. No one liked inspections on their Gyms.

Dawn had turned in early to get properly ready for her Contest tomorrow, and Ash was at the roof of the Pokémon Centre, waiting for Latias and Lugia to return from wherever they had been flying to. In his hands was a talisman that the people said would keep him safe from the resident Darkrai's nightmares. He wasn't sure that he would find the Legendary Pokémon, but he wouldn't give up without trying.

Soon, Latias and Lugia (who had recently perfected the use of staying invisible) came down and revealed themselves to Ash. Surrounded by his Pokémon, Latias cooing her support, Lugia stoically staring at Ash, Gardevoir standing on his left, with Lucario at his right, and his trusty Pikachu on his shoulders, Ash felt ready to take on the world.

(Chapter End)

A/N :- Hello all. I apologize for the lateness, but I have my exams coming up this month so next update will be a while unfortunately. Thus, I'm leaving you with something to do. I have put up a list of Pokémon that Ash has already caught, I intend to make it a full team of 6 Pokémon ( at least ) for every type. So send in ideas for Pokémon, but they should fit into the following categories.

Pokémon should be native of the Sinnoh region. And not a Legendary Pokémon.

And that's it.

So send in your ideas, look at the Pokémon he's got and think of those that complement others. Regarding the Poll, the winner of the girl that's going to be the second, is Hilda of the Unova Region. Cheers!


End file.
